Developers Unknown Worlds and publishers Krafton have given us our first proper look at their next open world exploration sim, Subnautica 2, which will launch on PC via Xbox Game Preview in 2025. It’s also coming to Steam and the Epic Games Store. It’ll support four player co-op, alongside the returning singleplayer survive-o-buildy experience, and it’ll take place on a brand new planet. Here’s the reveal trailer.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: (L-R) Jasmine Tookes, Paloma Elsesser, Barbara Palvin and Ashley … [+]
Get ready to spread your wings—the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back for the first time since 2018. The event returns with a star-studded lineup featuring world-famous models like Tyra Banks, Gigi Hadid, Paloma Elsesser, Adriana Lima, and more. Read on to learn what time the show starts and how to watch it from home.
Tonight’s show will bring back the “glamour, wings, fashion and musical entertainment our customers know and love – with our values and brand mission of today at the forefront,” according to a press release. The program was canceled in 2019 following the 2018 broadcast, which drew only 3.2 million viewers, marking the lowest viewership in the event’s history and the fifth consecutive year of declining viewership.
Several controversies have also rocked the lingerie brand in the last decade. “Australian supermodel Robyn Lawley in 2018 called for a boycott on the brand for ‘telling women there is only one kind’ of beautiful body, parent company L Brands’ CEO Les Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed in 2019, and a 2020 investigation by the New York Times said the brand had fostered a ‘culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment,’” Forbes previously reported.
When announcing the 2024 show in May, Victoria’s Secret wrote on Instagram that they “read the comments and heard you,” promising a show that will “reflect who we are today, plus everything you know and love.”
This year, Banks is reclaiming her angel wings after two decades. Joining her in tonight’s show are Hadid, Elsesser, Lima, Imaan Hammam, Candice Swanepoel, Grace Elizabeth, Taylor Hill, Mayowa Nicholas, Devyn Garcia, Barbara Palvin, Behati Prinsloo, Ashley Graham, and Jasmine Tookes. Plus, there could be some surprise guest angels making appearances.
The musical headliner for tonight is Grammy-winning artist Tyla, whom Victoria’s Secret chose for her “vibrant personality” and “innovative take on pop and R&B,” per Rolling Stone. For the first time, the musical lineup features an all-female roster, with pop icon Cher and K-pop star Lisa also set to perform.
TOPSHOT – Brazilian model Adriana Lima walks the runway at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show … [+]
The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will air on Tuesday, Oct. 15. at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PST on Prime Video and YouTube. The event will officially begin with the Pink Carpet at 6:30 p.m. ET, which is free to watch for all Amazon customers in the U.S.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 15: Ashley Graham prepares backstage during the Victoria’s Secret … [+]
The 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will stream live on Amazon Live, which you can watch on Prime Video’s Home and Live TV tabs, as well as the brand’s social channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The show is free to all Amazon customers in the U.S.
Watch the full live stream of the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, below.
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump are in discussions to appear on the top-ranked “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast in the waning days of the presidential campaign, according to reports, as both try to broaden their appeal to young men, though Rogan has made withering remarks about them.
JOE ROGAN QUESTIONS EVERYTHING — “Podcast” — Pictured: (l-r) Joe Rogan, Duncan Trussell — (Photo by: … [+]
In a July interview with political commentator Michael Malice, Rogan called Harris “the worst” and an unpopular vice president, said he was bothered to see her suddenly viewed as a “hero” and “solution,” wondered if she was medicated with anti-anxiety medications because of “disconnected ramblings,” but still said he thinks she will win the presidency because people think she’s a stronger alternative than Trump.
In a September interview with comedian Tom Segura, Rogan said, “whoever’s coaching her, whoever’s the puppet master running the strings” is doing a “f****** amazing job.”
In 2022, Rogan said to podcaster Lex Fridman that he’s “not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form” and has “had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once” but said no each time because he doesn’t want to help him, explaining that his show can “revitalize and rehabilitate” their public image in a “shocking way.”
The “Joe Rogan Experience” has never hosted Trump on the podcast, and Rogan has been outspoken about the candidate, calling Trump a “polarizing figure” and “existential threat to democracy,” although Rogan — a staunch defender of free speech — has also defended Trump supporters and criticized the internet’s portrayal of Trump.
Both candidates have decided to forego traditional media interviews and instead targeted specific—and large—niche audiences through popular podcasts.
Rogan, whose podcast is the largest in the U.S., touts a large audience of young men—including a large Black audience—a coveted demographic for both candidates.
Harris visited host Alex Cooper on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, routinely ranked as Spotify’s second largest podcast next to Rogan’s and one of the 10 most popular podcasts for women, according to Edison Research. Cooper said the podcast has a “very mixed” political audience and typically does not discuss politics with its celebrity guests like Miley Cyrus or Post Malone. The episode with Harris episode now ranks as one of the most popular podcast episodes on Spotify. Harris also went on the “All the Smoke” podcast, hosted by former NBA stars in a growing segment of athlete podcasts that discuss sports and lifestyles. “All the Smoke” has hosted guests like Will Smith and Kobe Bryant and has more than one million followers on YouTube. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — Harris’s vice presidential pick — went on the “Smartless” podcast, a high-ranking show hosted by comedians Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes with several hundred thousand followers on Instagram and YouTube. “Smartless” has also hosted President Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, among other Democrats.
Trump’s media blitz included the “All In” podcast, a business and technology-focused with more than half a million followers on YouTube; Lex Fridman’s podcast, a high-ranking show with a strong male audience that has hosted Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg for its more than 4 million followers on YouTube; Theo Von’s podcast, which has hosted dozens of comedians and Sen. Bernie Sanders alike for its more than 3 million YouTube followers; YouTuber Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast, which caters to a male audience in its nearly 5 million YouTube followers by routinely hosting boxers and wrestlers; the “Full Send Podcast” from the YouTube stars called the “Nelk Boys,” who became popular among its nearly all-male audience of 8 million followers on YouTube for prank videos; and the “Flagrant” comedy podcast, which has more than 1 million followers and hosts guests ranging from actor Peter Dinklage to UFC’s Dana White. Trump has also appeared in a Kick.com live-stream for controversial internet personality Adin Ross, which was later posted to his YouTube audience of more than 4 million followers. Most recently, Trump appeared on a podcast hosted by former NFL players called “Bussin’ With The Boys” — owned by digital media company Barstool Sports, which caters to sports and college-culture — which has more than half a million followers on YouTube.
Comedian Theo Von — who hosted Trump several weeks ago on his podcast — held a two-hour-long episode with billionaire Mark Cuban, who discussed his support of Harris. Von mentioned in the episode that the Harris campaign reached out for a possible episode.
On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Harris’ campaign has been in touch with Rogan’s team, adding another popular podcast to her media blitz in the final days before the election. An interview with Rogan could boost Harris’ campaign as she looks to appeal to more male voters, an identified campaign goal. Trump has said he intends to go on the podcast, revealing last week in an interview with the “Nelk Boys” podcast that he has considered the move. The Twitter account for the “Joe Rogan Experience” has also hinted that Trump may be on the show, posting articles daily about Trump potentially being on the show and asking on X this Sunday if Trump should be a guest. Rogan, who stated he was not politically affiliated with the Republican party, said in early August that he liked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a person and a candidate, although he wasn’t endorsing his presidential bid. In 2020, the podcaster shared his appreciation for Bernie Sanders and later said he would rather vote for Trump than President Joe Biden. He revealed on his show that he voted for libertarian candidate Jo Jorgenson in 2020. Rogan has often been criticized for the conversations he hosts on his show, which often give a platform to far-right commentators and potentially dangerous conspiracy theorists. He has also been criticized for spreading false information during the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccine.
Further Reading
What do you call a Big Mac that’s afraid of the dark? A Chicken Big Mac!
Or that’s what you call a Big Mac that has chicken patties on it instead of hamburgers. Which is what McDonald’s rolled out in stores nationwide on Thursday. For a limited time, those who prefer chicken to beef (or simply enjoy McDonald’s McChicken sandwiches) can get a Chicken Big Mac.
The sandwich features two chicken patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese and pickles on a sesame seed bun. Not quite as catchy as the original Big Mac jingle, but close enough.
While McDonald’s is far from my favorite fast food burger chain (Wendy’s rules nationally, In-N-Out crushes regionally), there is a time and place for the golden arches. Is it a time and place of desperation and weakness? Absolutely. But in those moments, a Big Mac and fries are a salty salve for the soul.
There is indeed something special about a Big Mac, from its double-decker presentation to the briny combination of special sauce, pickles and onions. The burger quality is of no consequence, mostly a canvas for condiments. So I was very curious how swapping the beef for chicken would fare.
It tastes pretty much how I expected — like a McChicken with Big Mac sauce. Which is pretty good! You’ll never mistake a McDonald’s chicken sandwich for an elite one from Chick-fil-a or Popeye’s, but there is a certain nostalgia to this style of low-grade chicken patty. And it is indeed elevated by the sauce, pickles and onions. The fact that this is technically a menu item McDonald’s could always serve — they always have Big Mac ingredients and chicken patties — does make this feel a little less special. But it doesn’t make it taste any worse.
Is it better than the original Big Mac? Nope. The sauce goes better with beef than chicken, and it’s hard to beat the original. I didn’t even like the Double Big Mac, which came out earlier this year, as much as the classic Big Mac.
And I’m not chicken to admit it.
• I tried the Wendy’s Krabby Patty Kollab meal so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s cheesy street chalupa so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried McDonald’s Kit Kat banana split McFlurry so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Wendy’s triple berry Frosty so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
Looking for more New Jersey food coverage? Subscribe to the free Jersey Eats newsletter here!
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.
Sometimes, the perfect fall day starts with McDonald’s before your morning coffee.
At least that’s what I told myself on the brisk, gray walk to my nearest fast food joint Thursday morning. As a recently relocated Floridian, I still don’t know how to dress for Oregon weather, so I was cold, and the cloud of fog in the distance made the golden arches look eerily apocalyptic — but forward I went, tasked with the assignment of taste testing McDonald’s limited edition Chicken Big Mac on the first day of its release.
NEW YORK — The northern lights captivated countless people across the Tri-State Area this week, but Mother Nature isn’t finished showing off yet.
If you’re lucky, experts say you might be able to spot a comet that hasn’t been seen from Earth in 80,000 years in the Tri-State Area this month.
In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, you’ll need a clear view facing west in order to see the comet with the naked eye.
“You really want to wait for the sun to set, but not long after,” said Bart Fried, membership chairman of the Amateur Astronomers Association.
Your best chance at the possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will come 30 minutes after sunset if you look right above where the sun sets, according to Fried.
Many people in the Tri-State Area were able to get a glimpse of the comet Saturday night.
Depending on cloud cover, you may be able to see the comet again next week, but with each passing day, it will get higher in the sky and become dimmer, making it more difficult to view.
The CCNY Planetarium created a simulation to show the comet’s position.
“The formal name is C-2023A3,” said Dr. James Hedberg, the planetarium’s director. “It’s thought to have originated in the ort cloud, which is this distant collection of rocks and ice, way, way far away.”
“The Neanderthals were the first people to see it,” Fried said. “Centuries ago, they were portraits of doom. Today, kind of just the opposite.”
There’s no guarantee the comet will ever make its way back close enough to Earth to see again, according to Hedberg.
“It’s these rare moments that change your lives,” he said. “This thing has spent tens of thousands of years getting here.”
“When there’s a good comet, you can’t take your eyes off it,” Fried said.
Jackie Faherty, senior research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, explains why seeing a comet like this is so rare.
“Because our solar system is pretty cleared out,” Faherty said. “You just don’t know if you’re ever going to see one because they have to have the right conditions to get the right amount of sunlight and be the right distance away from us.”
The comet is nothing to be worried about, experts say, since it’s so far away from Earth. So enjoy the show in the sky!
Alecia Reid
contributed to this report.
Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis legend who won 22 grand slam titles over the course of his career, on Thursday announced he will retire from professional tennis next month.
Nadal turned pro at age 15, in 2001. The 38-year-old will hang up his racquet at the end of 2024, marking the close of a 23-year run on the ATP Tour.
The trophies Nadal has taken home have come with hefty payouts, as well. In addition, he’s signed a number of lucrative sponsorship deals as one of the best athletes of all time.
Additionally, according to Forbes, Nadal can command event appearance fees that surpass $1 million.
Here’s how much prize money Nadal has won, as well as the value of his sponsorship deals over the years and estimated net worth.
Nadal’s 92 pro-tournament titles plus other victories have earned the left-handed Spaniard a total of nearly $135 million in prize money across both singles and doubles matches, according to the ATP Tour.
Nadal won 1,080 matches, and lost just 227, according to the organization. And because professional tennis players receive payouts not simply for wins but based on how far in a tournament draw they advance, he took home prize money even when he wasn’t crowned champion.
Nadal’s been hamstrung by injuries in recent years, forcing him to bow out of some competitions. Still, to-date in 2024, he’s earned $301,661 in prize money, according to the ATP Tour.
In 2024, Nadal was the sixth-highest paid tennis player, raking in $23.3 million, according to a ranking by Forbes. His “off-court” earnings made up the bulk of his income, accounting for $20 million.
As one of the biggest draws in tennis, Nadal has longstanding deals with a number of brands. He’s been sponsored by automobile maker Kia for 20 years, and in 2023 signed a deal to be a brand ambassador for IT company Infosys.
He’s also sponsored by watchmaker Richard Mille, and has long been wearing the brand’s timepieces — which run anywhere from six-figures into the millions — while playing tennis. “The watch is now like a second skin for me,” Nadal said, according to Richard Mille’s website.
This year, Nadal teamed up with rival Roger Federer for a “Core Values” campaign for luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.
Nadal has also signed on to be an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, despite criticisms that the country is using sports to cover up its controversial record on human rights and equality issues. According to Forbes, Nadal is believed to earn seven figures annually through the partnership.
Nadal also signed on with Nike early on, and has been wearing Nike footwear and apparel on the court since the beginning of his career. Nike has not revealed the value of its partnership with Nadal, though according to Yahoo Sports, the sportswear giant paid him roughly $10 million in bonuses in those years he achieved the top ranking in the world.
Rev up those fryers, because I am sure hungry for one collaboration between Wendy’s and SpongeBob SquarePants.
SpongeBob SquarePants, the beloved Nickelodeon character, turns 25 in 2024. To celebrate, Wendy’s has recreated the most beloved meal in all of Bikini Bottom — the Krabby Patty. As if that wasn’t enough, they even made a new Frosty to go with it.
Much of the iconic animated show takes place at the Krabby Patty, the fast food joint where SpongeBob works. Anyone who has watched the show has wondered what made the restaurant’s eponymous dish so delicious. I mean, Plankton was always trying to steal the secret recipe for a reason, right?
Well, the secret’s out. The Krabby Patty Meal came to Wendy’s on Tuesday. For $10.79, you can get your hands on a Krabby Patty Kollab Burger topped with American cheese, tomato, pickle, onion and “top-secret Krabby Kollab” sauce on a toasted bun, a medium order of fries and a Pineapple Under The Sea Frosty. While seasonal Frostys are nothing new for Wendy’s, this one includes a “pineapple mango flavored puree swirl” in a vanilla Frosty base.
That all sounds unassailably delicious, right? Wendy’s doesn’t really miss when it comes to burgers — it’s the best national burger chain, hands down. And while I’ve had my qualms with some of their Frostys, their biggest crime has always been that the original chocolate version is flawless. So I went into this with high expectations.
Turns out, the redheaded girl and yellow sponge guy are a match made in fast food heaven.
While the Krabby Patty Kollab Burger is hardly the most ambitious thing a burger joint has ever done, it’s objectively delicious. Wendy’s burgers are elite and don’t need much more to shine. The addition of the secret sauce, which tastes pretty much like typical burger sauce, made this one of the better fast food burgers I’ve had in a long time. It kind of tastes like if Wendy’s made a Big Mac.
The Frosty wasn’t quite as impressive. The pineapple mango puree tasted painfully artificial at first — considering Wendy’s hasn’t been able to make peppermint or strawberry taste real, it’s unsurprising they’d struggle with even more ambitious flavors. But after a few bites I started to like the fruit flavoring better, even if it was more mango than pineapple. Though by that point the puree was gone and I was mostly just eating a vanilla Frosty.
Wendy’s says the Krabby Patty meal is only available for a limited time, which is a bummer — I’d get this burger all the time if I could.
Now if, someone wants to make the Krusty Krab pizza…
• I tried Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s cheesy street chalupa so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried McDonald’s Kit Kat banana split McFlurry so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Wendy’s triple berry Frosty so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
• I tried Taco Bell’s Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme so you don’t have to. Here’s my review.
Looking for more New Jersey food coverage? Subscribe to the free Jersey Eats newsletter here!
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.
The Northern Lights are expected to be visible in several continental U.S. states again Friday night after powerful solar flares released aurora-causing geomagnetic storms (See update for Saturday night).
VIK, SOUTH ICELAND: Aurora Borealis spectacular view of the Northern Lights in the sky over Mount … [+]
After producing a strong X7.1 solar flare Wednesday, the sun produced an X9.0 solar flare Thursday, which is the most powerful flare thus far of the sun’s recent solar cycle; the flare that caused May’s vibrant lights was an X8.7.
Solar flares can lead to coronal mass ejections—or eruptions of solar material—which are known to cause Northern Lights sightings, and a pair of CMEs is expected to affect Earth between Friday and Sunday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initially issued minor to strong geomagnetic storm watches for Thursday through Saturday, but all of these watches have now been upgraded to strong G3 storms, which now extend into Sunday.
Friday night’s aurora has a Kp index of five, meaning there will be more activity as the lights become brighter and “quite pleasing to look at” if weather conditions are optimal, according to NOAA.
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle—called Solar Cycle 25—approaches its anticipated peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, and likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.
Though it’s hard to tell where the Northern Lights will show up, they may be the most visible Friday night in Canada and Alaska, according to NOAA (see image below). However, continental U.S. states within the aurora’s view line include Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Friday night’s aurora view line.
The lights are typically the most active between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. For the best views of the Northern Lights, the agency advises traveling as close to the poles as possible, avoiding city lights and other light pollution, monitoring weather forecasts for prime viewing conditions and finding a position on a vantage point like a hilltop.
Smartphone cameras are sensitive enough to pick up the aurora, even when it’s invisible to the naked eye. Visit Iceland, a tourist website for Iceland, where the lights are often visible, advises turning on night mode to best increase smartphone camera exposure.
Solar Cycle 25—the cycle the sun goes through around every 11 years—has been the cause of geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue on into next year. Cycle 25 began in Dec. 2019, and it’s estimated it will reach its maximum—when activity is expected to peak—between late 2024 and early 2026. It’s projected to peak with 115 sunspots, which are where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum hasn’t happened yet, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists anticipated, so it’s possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2026, though it’s difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.
215.5. That’s how many daily sunspots there were during the month of August, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. This is the highest monthly sunspot number since Solar Cycle 23 averaged 238.2 spots in 2003.
CNN
—
People in the United States can now order more free Covid-19 tests from the federal government as the country heads into respiratory virus season with high levels of the coronavirus already circulating.
Each household is eligible to receive four at-home test kits, which can be requested from COVIDTests.gov starting today. They’ll be shipped for free starting next week through the US Postal Service.
This is the program’s seventh round of distribution, which has delivered more than 900 million free tests directly to US residents since it started in the winter of 2021, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The rapid antigen tests take about 30 minutes to give results. This next set of tests will be able to detect currently circulating variants and can be used for testing in people who have Covid-19 symptoms and those who don’t, as well as in those who are up-to-date on their Covid-19 vaccination and those who aren’t.
“Reopening this popular program is the latest step by the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are available to all who want them this fall and winter,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a statement. “Before you visit with your family and friends this holiday season, take a quick test and help keep them safe from COVID-19.”
The available tests also include an option with features that make it more accessible for people with disabilities affecting dexterity or vision to use. More information about ordering these tests is available at ACL.gov/AccessibleTests.
“COVID-19 testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others,” according to the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
To reduce the spread of Covid-19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who test positive stay home and away from others until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours.
The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that people take multiple rapid tests to ensure they do not have Covid-19: two negative tests for those with symptoms and three for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart.
The CDC also recommends that everyone age 6 months or older receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine this season to stay up to date.
This year, there are multiple options available; mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer were updated to target KP.2, one of the so-called FLiRT variants that have been dominant in the US since May. Those vaccines are for people 6 months and older. A more traditional protein vaccine from Novavax is also available, but it targets JN.1, a variant that is still circulating but less prominently than a few months ago. The Novavax vaccine is approved only for those ages 12 and up.
The updated Covid-19 vaccines are available now at pharmacies across the US and can be received at the same time as the annual flu vaccine.
“The best plan going into this winter is for everyone to remain vigilant, to use the tools we have: vaccines, testing, treatment against the illnesses responsible for the majority of fall and winter deaths and hospitalizations,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said last week.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman contributed to this report.
