New York man shot, killed while visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny concert: Reports
Police in Puerto Rico identified Kevin Mares as the victim in an early morning shooting in San Juan in which Mares appeared to be a bystander, according to The Associated Press and CBS News.
Police reportedly said Mares was shot at a club in La Perla, an impoverished neighborhood near old San Juan that has had a reputation for crime.
At least two others were injured in the shooting, according to reports. Late Aug. 10, police still hadn't identified a suspect in the shooting.
USA TODAY has contacted local police.
NY man was visiting Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny concert, family says
Mares' family said on a GoFundMe page that he was visiting the island to see Bad Bunny, the famous reggaeton artist who has scheduled 30 concerts in his native Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny is in the midst of his "No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí" concert series at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan that has drawn American tourists to the island.
The singer's next set of shows is slated for Aug. 15-17.
La Perla, where the shooting took place, is a seaside community along the northern outskirts of Old San Juan. The area has made headlines for similar crimes involving tourists. It was also made famous after being featured in the music video for "Despacito," a 2017 song by Puerto Rican singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.
Puerto Rico shooting victim was planning to propose to girlfriend, family says
Mares was planning to propose to his girlfriend of six years in the fall, his family said on a GoFundMe page.
"Kevin Mares was a deeply loved son, devoted friend, and a source of inspiration to everyone who knew him," the page said. "His wholehearted kindness, adventurous spirit, and unwavering commitment to family made him a pillar of strength for his loved ones."
"Family was at the center of everything he did, and his sudden passing has left an unfillable void in our lives," it added.
Mares hoped to become a veterinarian, his mother, Sandra Mares, said in a social media post.
"Unfortunately he was not able to complete his dream," she said.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
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Atlantic
12 minutes ago
- Atlantic
King of the Hill Now Looks Like a Fantasy
When Hank Hill, the stalwart, drawling protagonist of King of the Hill,returns to Texas, he kneels in the airport and kisses the floor. More than 15 years have passed since audiences last saw him—the show, which debuted a new season last week, ended its original 12-year run in 2009. Viewers learn that Hank and his wife, Peggy, have recently moved back to their yellow house on Rainey Street, in suburban Arlen, after several years living in Saudi Arabia. Hank had taken a job as a propane consultant there, where the couple had lived in an idyllic simulacrum of an American small town, a place that put Hank in mind of 'what things were like in the '50s.' Then and now, the slice-of-life comedy—which also stars Hank and Peggy's son, Bobby— mainly concerns neighborhood antics unfolding across Rainey Street's living rooms and lawns. (Bobby, for his part, is now a chef who lives in Dallas.) Yet its premise lands differently today than it did a decade and a half ago. Today, when only a quarter of Americans reportedly know most of their neighbors, and nearly as many say they feel lonely and disconnected from their community, King of the Hill 's focus on neighborly relations is comforting, even idealistic—a vision of suburban America with strong social ties that, for the most part, isn't riven by cultural or political divisions. As such, the show feels like a playbook for a type of rosy coexistence that, in the real world, seems harder and harder to come by. From the Hills' perspective, Arlen has primarily changed in ways they find inconvenient. Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him. But these signs of the times are easier for him to accept than the realization that some things, or people, haven't changed; they've deteriorated. Almost immediately after reuniting with his friends, Hank learns that Bill Dauterive, his longtime friend and neighbor, hasn't left his bedroom since the COVID lockdowns of 2020. Hank had been Bill's de facto lifeline for years, helping his friend even when it meant pushing himself wildly outside his comfort zone, such as getting a tattoo of Bill's name and donning a dress alongside him. Without Hank's stabilizing presence, Bill's well-being seems to have declined to the point that even Netflix—which he'd been watching nonstop—sent someone to his house to perform a wellness check. Horrified by Bill's sorry state, Hank vows to get his friend 'back on track.' But when his former boss calls to offer him an attractive job that would take him back to the Middle East, alongside all the amenities he could want, Hank's new dilemma seems to crystallize. Listening to the tempting offer, Hank stares across his lawn toward Bill, who's using a garden rake to drag a package in through his window without leaving his room. Does Hank really want to be back in this neighborhood, where his relationships create inescapable obligations and daily nuisances? By choosing to stay in Arlen, Hank and Peggy reaffirm King of the Hill 's core message: that belonging to a community is a worthwhile enterprise that requires ongoing commitment. In the case of Bill, that ultimately means enticing him back into society with the appetizing waft and convivial chatter of a barbecue party—a small coup for social connection amid the inertia of alienation. Mike Judge, one of the show's co-creators, has said that the character of Hank was partially inspired by neighbors he once had in suburban Texas, who saw Judge struggling to repair a broken fence in his yard and helped him fix it, unprompted. This habitual caretaking—the act of showing up for others, regardless of convenience or reward—is part of what the political theorist Hannah Arendt called the ' web of human relationships,' conceived on an ethic of tolerance and responsibility that goes deeper than simply enjoying your neighbors' company. After all, Bill can be a buzzkill, and the Hills' other neighbors, such as the conspiratorial Dale Gribble across the alley and the holier-than-thou Minh and Kahn Souphanousinphone next door, are flawed too. For the Hills, staying in Arlen means forgoing a more comfortable life to lump it with some weird personalities. But without taking pains to help one's neighbors, a resilient, tolerant community could not exist. And without that web of relationships, even the most Stepford-perfect town is a spiritual desert. While Bill's storyline dramatizes how isolation can hollow out an individual's life, King of the Hill also explores how withdrawal can fray community ties more broadly. One episode finds Peggy aghast that her neighbors are pulling away from one another and receding into their technology: Many Arlen locals now pretend not to be home if their doorbell cameras reveal chatty-looking strangers on their doorstep; some even post paranoid warnings to an anonymous neighborhood forum, fearmongering about 'strange people' sightings (half of which turn out to just be Dale). Peggy takes it upon herself to bring the neighborhood together by erecting a lending library in her front yard. The initiative works well—until her books spread bedbugs, making everyone even angrier and more suspicious of one another. Peggy doesn't want to admit that she's responsible for a public-health fiasco, but the show underscores that a community can't function on good intentions alone. Sometimes, restoring harmony requires a willingness to lose face—which she does. After confessing to causing the outbreak, she leads a group effort to burn the infested books in a bonfire. 'Texas morons have book-burning party,' is how one anonymous forum user describes them. But at least the whole street comes together in the end, with someone strumming a guitar as the pages crackle. King of the Hill 's belief in the innate power of moral character remains one of its most appealing traits—but the revival glosses reality in order to preserve its gentle equilibrium. Many viewers have described the series as 'small c ' conservative: Hank values the familiarity of his traditions more than he's vocal about his political beliefs, but he also once refused to lick a stamp with an image of Bill Clinton on it. Judge has described its humor as 'more social than political.' In an episode of the original series, the Hills meet then-Governor George W. Bush at a presidential-campaign rally; world events that occurred during Bush's presidency, however—such as 9/11 and the Iraq War—never came up during the show's original run. Now neither do ongoing stories that have kept Texas in the news, such as the state's restrictive anti-abortion laws. The reveal that Dale was briefly elected mayor of Arlen on an anti-mask campaign is the closest the show comes this time around to commenting on today's culture wars. Some viewers may find it difficult to reconcile the show's good-humored, inclusive portrayal of everyday suburban life with the political and social fragmentation found within many American communities today. A version of the show that more directly explored real-world tensions could have sharply captured the moment into which King of the Hill returns. However, its obvious distance from real life encourages viewers to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves in its true politic: participating in the ritual of neighborhood life, regardless of whether that just means standing in an alley with a beer, contributing to a frog chorus of 'Yups' until everyone's made it through another day together. All of this principled neighborliness may sound Pollyannaish, but the show's optimism seems intentional. King of the Hill has always held a distinctive place in Judge's canon: Though his other film and TV projects, such as Idiocracy, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Silicon Valley, mercilessly skewer what some critics have defined as 'American suckiness,' King of the Hill celebrates American decency. The show's narrative arcs continually reinforce that social trust is key to communities weathering any crisis, that being moral in the world can be a matter of looking out our windows and recognizing how we can serve one another, whether that's by fixing a fence or checking in on a friend. That's the evergreen charm of the Hill family: their pragmatic belief that helping out is just what neighbors do. Or, as a Girl Scout chirps to Hank while handing over a box of Caramel deLites, 'It's nice to be nice.'
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Danielle Spencer's Cause of Death Revealed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Danielle Spencer, the former child actor best known for playing Dee Thomas on the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!!, died on Monday at the age of 60. The actress' death was due to gastric cancer and cardiac arrest, family friend and spokesperson Sandra Jones confirmed to ABC News. The Context Spencer starred in 65 episodes of What's Happening!! (1976–1979) and reprised her role in the sequel What's Happening Now!! (1985–1988). The shows were among the early American television programs to follow the lives of Black teenagers. She later earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee University in 1993 and practiced in the Richmond, Virginia, area after relocating there from California in 2014, according to ABC News. (L) Actress Danielle Spencer from the TV show "What's Happening!!" poses for a photo in November 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (R) Danielle Spencer, circa 1988. (L) Actress Danielle Spencer from the TV show "What's Happening!!" poses for a photo in November 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (R) Danielle Spencer, circa 1988. Michael; Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer What To Know Spencer died on August 11 at Chippenham Hospital in Richmond. Prior to her death, the sitcom star had a history of health issues. In 1977, Spencer was involved in a car accident that killed her stepfather and manager, Tim Pelt, her website bio states. She was in a coma for three weeks and had broken bones in her arm, leg and pelvis. Decades later, the injuries she endured left her wheelchair-bound, and she underwent physical therapy to learn how to walk again. In 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and in 2018, she had emergency surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain. Spencer was inducted into the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, marking the first time a child star received the honor. "I still can't believe it," she told in 2014. "That's something people can look at for years to come, long after I'm gone." What People Are Saying Sandra Jones told ABC News on Tuesday: "This untimely death is really hard to process right now. She is a sweet and gentle soul and she is going to be missed very, very much." Jeremy Pelt, Spencer's brother and jazz musician, penned a lengthy message to his sister via Instagram: "August 11, 2025 will forever be a reminder of the day that I lost a big part of myself. After many years, my big sister, Dr. Danielle Louise Spencer lost her battle with cancer." "Many of you knew her as 'Dee,' but she was more than a child actress. She was a friend, an auntie to my three children who adored her, she was a daughter- and in many ways, my mother's best friend, she was a veterinarian, she was someone who always remained positive even during her darkest days fighting this disease. And she was MY sister and protector." "My immediate family, of which there were only three of us had an unusual knack for always being connected even if we weren't always in contact with each other. Dani and I- our bond got stronger the older I (in particular) got. She's 11 years older than me. I used to relish our texts back and forth using unfiltered 'real' talk." "She positively LOVED Milo, Charlie and Amma and constantly dreamed of a time they'd all be visiting her and 'Mimi' (grandmother). The times they made it down south, she was always so encouraging. Always so uplifting. I'm rambling...I'm so fucking fucking gutted... I watched her take her last breath... I'm thankful for that." "I love you, forever." Haywood Nelson, Spencer's What's Happening!! co-star, wrote on Instagram: "Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them and we all have this family's - Dr. Danielle Spencer (June 24, 1965 - August 11, 2025)." "Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer." "We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, What's Happening cast member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced." What Happens Next Spencer is survived by her brother, Jeremy Pelt, and mother, Cheryl Pelt. At the time of writing, no public memorial or funeral plans have been announced.
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
The UK Shows How Not To Do Online Age Verification
The first week of implementation for the U.K.'s Online Safety Act (OSA) has been anything but smooth. Upon going into effect on July 25, popular online services ranging from X to Discord and even Spotify, requiring users to show ID before engaging with content on their platforms. Users turned in droves to downloading virtual private network (VPN) apps to avoid the requirements of the law and browse with their privacy intact. It's a very American response to the imposition of the British government's age verification rules, and it led the U.K.'s Secretary for Science and Technology Peter Kyle to suggest on live TV that every time an adult uses a VPN, it leads to the harm of a child online. U.S. advocates of similar digital regulations should take notice of how badly this is going. The aim of protecting children online is a worthy goal, but it is impossible to ignore the OSA's nature, which is a thinly veiled effort to normalize censorship in the U.K. and expand surveillance of British citizens and guests within their borders. A boy participates in an online lesson for his kindergarten class while schools remain closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19, in Chicago, Ill., on April 3, 2020. A boy participates in an online lesson for his kindergarten class while schools remain closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19, in Chicago, Ill., on April 3, of the primary problems with the Online Safety Act lies in its overly broad language regarding the types of content it polices. The text requires sites that host pornography and other content deemed "harmful," whatever that means, to verify that users are over the age of 18. With penalties as steep as 10 percent of global revenue and potential jail time for repeat offenses by firms, platforms are understandably overcorrecting and taking an overzealous approach to requiring ID checks in hopes of avoiding liability. For example, in order to access your Spotify account, users will need to submit their ID so that they can listen to music again on the platform, or risk their account being scrubbed. The distinction here is worth highlighting, because while some music can be profane, you can see how the law flattens graphic video content and audio content, or, put more simply, words. It's no shock that users are soundly rejecting this approach by the U.K. government by turning to VPNs. These services, such as ExpressVPN or Surfshark, have quietly empowered individuals to take control of their digital privacy, whether to protect themselves on public Wi-Fi, avoid algorithmic price discrimination, or download large peer-to-peer files online. And yes, people use VPNs to access explicit content or simply new music that is geoblocked. When a new album by your favorite band drops, Australians are usually jamming to it 12 hours before most Americans. Originally designed in the 1990s to help businesses secure remote connections, VPNs are a critical and mainstream tool for everyday internet users seeking to protect themselves in an increasingly surveilled online world. By encrypting data and masking IP addresses, VPNs shield users from hackers, corporate trackers, and even government surveillance. In an era where data is currency and digital freedom is under threat, VPNs are not a fringe convenience or an indication of nefarious activity by the user. It may only be a matter of time before the United Kingdom considers restricting VPNs altogether. They make total control infeasible. That's why Secretary Kyle had to appeal to Brits with a scare tactic about harming children with VPNs. The government passed a law that standard digital tech makes a mockery of, and that most online users under 50 know how to bypass. VPNs aren't the only way users are skirting age verification requirements. Video gamers playing Death Stranding have tapped into more creative solutions for getting past such regulations by leveraging the in-game photo modes to fool age verification software. When U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently told President Donald Trump, "We've had free speech for a long time, so, er, we are very proud of that," one had to wonder—what exactly is he proud of? Is he referring to the 30 people a day his government arrests for posting "offensive" things online? Or perhaps he is proud of the fact that his government was threatening Americans with criminal charges for not complying with his government's Online Safety Act? And while the OSA was done under the guise of protecting kids online, the government is also inexplicably engaged in a Streisand effect moment, with its agency announcing it was investigating four companies operating 34 pornographic websites. Essentially, by calling it out, the regulator told minors where they can go to access pornographic content without the need to utilize age verification. The Online Safety Act is a masterclass in unintended consequences and symbolic rulemaking. Britons are pushing back with a petition to repeal the law, which has already gathered over 450,000 signatures. American lawmakers would be wise to pay attention and avoid making the same mistakes in Congress. We can protect children without sacrificing the foundational principles of a free and open internet. James Czerniawski is the head of emerging technology policy at The Consumer Choice Center. His work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsmax, U.S. News and World Report, and more. Follow him on X/Twitter @JamesCz19. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
