Brian King Joseph was hired as a violinist for Smith’s “Based on a True Story: 2025” tour.

In a lawsuit, Joseph alleges sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation.

Joseph said the ordeal caused emotional distress and economic loss.

The first appearances of the classic cartoon and comic characters are among the pieces of intellectual property whose 95-year U.S. copyright maximum has been reached, putting them in the public domain on Jan. 1. That means creators can use and repurpose them without permission or payment.

The 2026 batch of newly public artistic creations doesn’t quite have the sparkle of the recent first entries into the public domain of Mickey or Winnie. But ever since 2019 — the end of a 20-year IP drought brought on by congressional copyright extensions — every annual crop has been a bounty for advocates of more work belonging to the public.

“It’s a big year,” said Jennifer Jenkins, law professor and director of Duke’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, for whom New Year’s Day is celebrated as Public Domain Day. “It’s just the sheer familiarity of all this culture.”

Jenkins said that, collectively, this year’s work shows “the fragility that was between the two wars and the depths of the Great Depression.”

Here’s a closer look at what will enter the public domain on Thursday, based on the research of Jenkins and her center.

Cartoons and comics bring the boop-a-doop

Betty Boop began as a dog. Seriously.

When she first appears in the 1930 short “Dizzy Dishes,” one of four of her cartoons entering the public domain, she’s already totally recognizable as the Jazz Age flapper later memorialized in countless tattoos, T-shirts and bumper stickers. She has her baby face, short hair with groomed curls, flashy eyelashes and miniature mouth. But she’s also got dangling poodle ears and a tiny black nose. Those would soon morph into dangling earrings and a tiny white nose.

She started as essentially the Minnie Mouse to a popular anthropomorphic dog named Bimbo, whom she would eventually outshine — and push aside. She’s got a supporting role in “Dizzy Dishes,” performing a slinky song-and-dance in a tiny black dress. She’s not named, but sings “boop boop, a doop.”

Jenkins suggests this canine Betty Boop could be rich for exploitation in new works, and has a free idea: “She was bitten by a radioactive dog, that’s why she had this weird backstory,” she said with a laugh. “This movie needs to be made.”

The character was designed and owned by Fleischer Studios, and the shorts were released by Paramount Pictures. She was based at least in part on singer Helen Kane, known as the “Boop-Oop-a-Doop Girl,” thanks to a hit 1929 song. Kane would lose a lawsuit over Betty Boop’s character and use of the phrase. During the proceedings the defense alleged Black singer Esther Lee Jones used similar phrases first.

Artists are now free to use this earliest Boop in films and similar work. But making merch won’t be free. In an important distinction often raised by Disney over Mickey Mouse, a character’s trademark is distinct from the copyright of works that feature them. The Fleischer Productions trademark of Betty Boop remains intact.

Boops and doops were apparently in the air in 1930. Blondie Boopadoop was, like Betty, a young flapper, and the central character of Chic Young’s newspaper comic strip that debuted in 1930. It inspired a film series and radio show, and is still running today in papers that still have comics.

The strip followed her carefree breeze through life with her boyfriend, Dagwood Bumstead. The two would marry (and she would change her name) in 1933, and the strip would become the sandwich-heavy domestic comedy familiar to later readers. Though the strip was meant to be based on a woman’s life, Dagwood would in many ways become its breakout star — a proto- Adam Driver, if you will, as the breakout actor from “Girls.”

Nine new Mickey Mouse cartoons also are becoming public domain, two years after “Steamboat Willie” made the first version of him public property. He’s joined this year by his dog Pluto, who, in 1930, was known as Rover. (He would get his long-term moniker the following year.)

Books bring big detective debuts

The books entering the public domain this year open the door to three iconic detectives from the 20th century:

— The teen sleuth Nancy Drew, whose first four books came in 1930, starting with “The Secret of the Old Clock.” They were written by Mildred Benson under the pen name Carolyn Keene.

— The middle-aged(-ish) sleuth Sam Spade, who debuted via the full-book version of Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” (It had been serialized in a magazine the previous year.)

— The elderly sleuth Miss Marple, who solves her first mystery in Agatha Christie’s “Murder at the Vicarage.”

A year after his “The Sound and the Fury” became public, William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying” becomes public domain. It would help lead to his Nobel Prize in literature.

And kiddie lit legends Dick and Jane, who taught generations to read and became essential parody fodder for decades, become public via the “Elson Basic Readers” textbooks.

Films include Marxes, Marlene and Oscar winners

A year after their film debut, “The Cocoanuts,” entered the public domain, the Marx Brothers’ beloved “Animal Crackers” joins it, as they entered their prime of high cinematic antics. The film finds Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo invading a Long Island society party celebrating an explorer of Africa.

Other movies entering the public domain include:

— “The Blue Angel,” the German film from Josef von Sternberg that emblazoned Marlene Dietrich’s top-hatted image into film lore.

— “King of Jazz,” featuring the first screen appearance of Bing Crosby.

— A pair of Oscar best picture winners, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which won in 1930, and “Cimarron,” which won in 1931. The award was known as “Outstanding Production” then, and the Academy Awards eligibility period didn’t sync with the calendar year.

The coming decade will bring a true bounty of Hollywood Golden Age films into the public domain. 2027 will be a truly monster year, literally, with the original 1931 Universal Pictures versions of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” among the titles due.

Dreamy and embraceable tunes ring in the 1930s

As in the last several years, a whistle-worthy stream of tunes from the Great American Songbook will become public:

— Four cherished classics written by George Gershwin, with lyrics by his brother Ira: “Embraceable You,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You,” “But Not for Me” and “I Got Rhythm.”

— “Georgia on My Mind,” written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell.

— “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” written by Gus Kahn, Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt.

Different laws regulate the actual recordings of songs, and those newly in the public domain this week date to 1925. They include Rodgers and Hart’s “Manhattan” by the Knickerbockers, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” by Marian Anderson and “The St. Louis Blues” by Bessie Smith, featuring Louis Armstrong.

The network pulled the plug on MTV Live, MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s and Club MTV. They ceased to broadcast after Wednesday, according to BBC News.

The last music video played on all of them was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles — the same video that kicked off MTV when it first hit the airwaves on Aug. 1, 1981.

The music channel is still being aired in the U.S. However, they recently canceled the popular shows “Catfish” and “Ridiculousness.”

Marching bands, floats and throngs of spectators were soaked by one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of New Year’s Day rain at the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena. The mercury stood at a chilly 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 degrees Celsius) at the 8 a.m. start of the parade.

Across the country, in New York City, hats and gloves were as necessary as noisemakers at the city’s New Year’s Eve ball drop, where temperatures near freezing appeared to be the coldest in 10 years.

Hundreds of thousands of people gather along the nearly six-mile (10-kilometer) route in Pasadena, where the two-hour parade kicked off. Millions more watch on national television. Organizers at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade ahead of the Rose Bowl college football game, said they made only small changes to accommodate the weather, such as the tops being up on convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs.

Rain forecasts for the Rose Parade, which had been dry for 20 years, grew all week. On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for all California counties and a coastal flood advisory through Sunday afternoon along much of the Pacific Coast near San Francisco.

Meanwhile, residents in the areas hit hardest by last year’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires were under evacuation warnings.

In New York City, the sun came out ahead of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural celebration, but other areas of the Northeast and Midwest were hit by an Alberta clipper storm and trailing Arctic front that brought snow squalls and high winds.

Conditions varied widely — from snow showers to heavier squalls — from Wisconsin through northern Illinois and Michigan and into northern New Jersey, southeastern New York and New England.

About a quarter of flights were delayed out of both San Diego International Airport and Boston Logan, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

Partying hard into 2026 could be too much for the body and could turn you into a zombie.

At the Biohack Lab, their purpose is to make you feel alive again, down to the cellular level. Oh, that sounds pretty smart.

Raina Cassis: “We’re a wellness center. We focus on the mind, body and spirit. We have over 25 different modalities that cater to making you the best version of yourself. You have zombie cells in your body. In science, they’re known as senescent cells, these are cells that are not working and functioning at their best levels.”

And going through their “Post New Year’s Eve: Revive and Reset’ gets rid of these lazy little guys.

Raina Cassis: “The first thing that’s done is definitely a cryo to help boost your body and your cells and wake you up. Think of your cells as little battery packs and we’re recharging them, and when your cells have more energy, that’s good for blood flow, circulation and inflammation, which we see a lot after drinking.”

Spencer O’Neal: “I like the cryo chamber, there’s just kind of an immediate endorphin pump after that and you just have so much energy, like, I leave that and I wanna go back and party again but maybe I’ll take it easy for a couple of days.”

Then, it’s off for some heat.

Raina Cassis: “Definitely an infrared sauna session to sweat out whatever toxins you ingested during that time.”

After, go inside this white ball.

Raina Cassis: “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy here, is that you go into a chamber, we put your body in a pressurized state, almost as if you’re in a submarine diving down under water. When your body is in that pressurized state, the molecule of oxygen becomes small enough to travel wherever it needs to go to.”

And some much needed drip tops the holistic experience.

Raina Cassis: “Ending off with an IV of your choice. And you also have molecular hydrogen, which is an incredible tool. It gives you more clarity and more energy to be able to take on the rest of the weekend if you have to.”

Nicholas Wingord: “I partied pretty hard with my best friend and that added to feeling even more tired and I feel like being here has been great. I already feel rejuvenated.”

The Biohack Lab has locations in Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Coral Gables, with more coming soon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Biohack Lab
Website

Major victory and major controversy: 2025 began with Demi Moore winning her first ever major acting award at The Golden Globes for “The Substance,” while “Emilia Perez” star Karla Sofía Gascón found herself in hot water over her posts on social media.

Indie film “Anora” dominated at the Academy Awards.

That film took home five trophies, including best picture and best actress for Mikey Madison.

Jonathan Bailey had a wickedly good 2025, onscreen and in real life.

The actor was named People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”

Taylor Swift wrapped up “The Eras Tour” in 2024. But she had plenty more up her sleeve this year.

The singer dropped her record-breaking album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” And her man, Travis Kelce, finally popped the question, kicking off her engagement era.

She also released a concert film and docuseries about “The Eras Tour” on Disney+.

Taylor’s BFF Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco tied the knot after dropping their collab album, “I Said I Love You First.”

And in celeb splits, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban called it quits after 19 years of marriage.

Beyonce also had a billion dollar year.

The singer’s “Cowboy Carter” tour became the highest grossing country music concert tour ever. She also became the first Black woman to win the Grammy for best country album and finally won the coveted album of the year trophy.

The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” became the highest grossing tour by a solo male artist ever.

Spotify Wrapped crowned Bad Bunny as the year’s most streamed global artist, with almost 20 billion listens around the world. The Latin superstar was also named next year’s Super Bowl halftime show headliner.

Adele announced her first acting role. She’ll be part of Tom Ford’s upcoming Anne Rice adaptation, “Cry to Heaven.”

The courts also saw a lot of Hollywood action this year.

“It Ends With Us” ended with dueling lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. She’s accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliating against her. But he claims she took over his movie, extorted him and tried to destroy his career. The trial is set for May.

Also making headlines: Sean P-Puff-Diddy-Daddy Combs was found guilty after an eight week trial in New York City.

The disgraced rap mogul was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy was sentenced to 50 months in prison.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was temporarily suspended in September over the host’s political commentary.

That decision led to debates about free speech, with many celebs coming to his defense. That lasted six days.

The biggest movie of the year didn’t come from Hollywood.

China’s animated flick “Ne Zha Two” raked in almost $2 billion.

When it comes to domestic blockbusters, “A Minecraft Movie” starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa made over $423 million.

Marvel suited up for action with “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”

And the year comes to a close with some highly anticipated sequels.

“Wicked: For Good” marked a return to the Emerald City and all things green and pink, while James Cameron took audiences back to Pandora in “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

The benefit concert, “Stay Strong Jamaica,” is proving to be the best way to start 2026.

With feel-good vibes from reggae icons like Shaggy, Inner Circle, Julian Marley and many more, the event is about bringing hope and support for the island through dancehall.

The musical artists are joining together to send a message for those still thinking about buying a ticket.

Rohan Marley: “Hesitant to help people?”

Julian Marley: “Yeah, you can’t be hesitant to help people.”

Rohan Marley: “If someone comes knocking and you can help, whether it’s through buying a ticket or making a phone call to your friend to buy a ticket.”

Roger Lewis: “It’s gonna take at least minimum a year-and-a-half, maybe two years for those 50,000 to 60,000 impacted people.”

Ian Lewis: “Just to be stabilized, not to recover fully.”

Shaggy: “Make sure you guys are there. I will be there, we’re gonna turn up. You dig? Biggup. For a good cause.”

100% of the proceeds from the concert go to rebuilding Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa devastated the area.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
1 Seminole Way
Hollywood, FL 33314
Friday, January 2, 2026
To buy tickets, click here

If you’re looking to start 2026 with a bang, then Ocean Drive is calling.

When the clock strikes 12 this New Year’s Eve, Lummus Park will be your front-row seat to one of Miami’s biggest firework shows.

Jonathan Plutzik: “The great thing about the firework celebration on New Year’s Eve is, it’s so significant. You can almost stand anywhere here on Ocean Drive and take it in.”

Take in the amazing views while sitting on the beach or dine at one of the open-air restaurants.

Jonathan Plutzik: “All of the restaurants have extended into the street, serving not only there normal menus, but actually a special taste of Ocean Drive menu, it’s really a wonderful way to take in the new year.”

But that’s not all. The fun continues on New Year’s Day.

Jonathan Plutzik: “And every year on New Year’s Day, we celebrate the new year with a full orchestra concert by the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival.”

For families who don’t want to wait until midnight, Christmas Wonderland in Tropical Park will be ringing in the new year a bit earlier.

Tony Albelo: “We call it ‘New Year’s at Nine,’ where we are going to have a full-blown New Year’s Eve experience, but instead of the countdown happening at midnight, it’s going to happen at 9.”

Fireworks will light up the night sky at 9 p.m., just as it would for any New Year’s Eve party.

Tony Albelo: “In addition to that, we have a big confetti storm that’s going to happen by the main stage, we have a dance party. We’re having a DJ on the stage, and the DJ is going to be playing top hits.”

This family fun won’t break the bank, either.

Tony Albelo: “‘New Year’s at Nine’ costs nothing extra. You come to Christmas Wonderland with your regular ticket, you’re going to get the party favors, you are going to get the dance party, firework show is going to happen, confetti is going to happen. Everything that’s going to happen is all included in your ticket.”

“Lit” would be the best word to describe New Year’s Eve at Fairchild Botanical’s NightGarden.

Daniel Wu: “If you never been here before on New Year’s Eve, you’re in for a treat.”

The twinkling forest will also be bursting with fireworks at 9 p.m.

Daniel Wu: “We are a family-friendly event — great for all ages, everything for family to date nights. And we chose 9 o’clock so that everyone can attend and you have a chance to go for after parties. We have food, we have drinks, we have music and all of the lights and the fireworks you have come to expect from us.”

Tickets for Ocean Drive New Year’s events are free of charge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
NightGarden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
10901 Old Cutler Rd.
Miami, FL 33156
For tickets, click here

Christmas Wonderland at Tropical Park
7900 SW 40th Street
Miami, FL 33155
For tickets, click here

Just before Ryan Seacrest helps us ring in 2026, the music will already be in full swing, thanks to Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, Pitbull — and many more.

Busta Rhymes: “‘This kind of energy right here, with just us coming together, if we keep this going and keep this growing, we’re going to have an unparalleled 2026.”

Jordan Davis: “This is the thing that you grow up, you know, everybody in the country is watching this tonight.”

It’s also special for first-time performer BigXthaPlug.

BigXthaPlug: “I’m excited. I’m blessed. It’s an honor.”

K-pop fans are also in for a treat. Huntr/x, from “KPop Demon Hunters,” plan to bring an electrifying performance.

Rei Ami: “We’re bringing the energy. We’re lit!”

EJAE: “The 2026 energy.”

Audrey Nuna: “Dick Clark energy. Let’s go.”

Charlie Puth will hit the stage too – ten years after his first Rockin’ Eve performance in Times Square.

Charlie Puth: “I’m happy to be inside this time now, I was outside in Times Square and it was a particularly chilly 2015.”

Good music, good fun, looks like we’re ready for 2026.

Ingredients:
Carnaroli rice (alternative Arborio)
Porcini Mushroom Italian (alternative dried Porcini)
veggie stock (freshly made or store bought)
1/2 cup white wine
Taleggio cheese (substitute brie or fontina)
minced small yellow onion or minced shallot
Italian Parsley
butter
Parmigiano Reggiano
fresh garlic
fresh rosemary
EVOO, salt and pepper
fresh Italian black truffle (optional)

Method of Preparation:

• In a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, placed the sliced Porcini in one layer, season with EVOO, garlic and rosemary and bake in a preheat oven at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and season with salt. Set aside.
• In a skillet prepare a soffritto with EVOO and the minced onion, cook until golden.
• Add the rice and toast it. Add the white wine and let evaporate. Add the veggie stock little by little to allow the rice to absorb the stock and cook gently. Season with salt. When almost ready, but still hard, add some of the Porcini and cook until the rice it’s done (add more veggie stock if needed), add some of the Taleggio, the butter and the Parmigiano and finish with the parsley.
• Place a couple of spoonfuls on a flat plate, tap the bottom and swirl the plate to flatten the risotto. Place the remaining roasted Porcini on top, add the Taleggio in small dots evenly, decorate with a parsley leaf and grated fresh pepper.
• Add shaved fresh Italian black truffle as an option to make it special for the Holidays celebration.

Altamura Trattoria
7835 NW 107th Ave, Doral, FL 33178
(786) 900-2582
https://www.altamuratrattoria.com/

Ingredients:
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (9 to 14 ounces) thawed
1 cup sour cream
4 to 6 ounces sliced smoked salmon
1 to 2 Persian or regular cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, drained
Fresh dill to garnish

Method of Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowI, toss onion with vinegar.
• Set aside, tossing occasionally, until ready to serve.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment and lay the pastry on top.
• With a fork, vigorously poke the pastry, deeply, from edge to edge. This will help it to remain flaky but not puffy (eliminating the potential for air pockets), so the toppings may be easily layered on later.
• Place the sheet pan on the middle rack and bake the pastry until golden and flaky, 17 to 20 minutes. (It will rise slightly, but should deflate. If it doesn’t, gently poke a hole and press down lightly on any air pockets).
• Let cool completely.
• When pastry is cool, spread sour cream over the surface like sauce on a pizza.
• Top with the salmon, cucumber, capers, dill and drained pickled onion.
• Cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!

The Chef: Angelo Elia
The Restaurant: Casa D’Angelo, Fort Lauderdale
The Dish: Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (or panko for extra crunch)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Olive oil, for frying (about ½ cup)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Method of Preparation:

• Butterfly & pound the chicken
  Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin cutlets.
  Place each between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound with a mallet or rolling pin until about ¼-inch thick.
  Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the breading stations
  In one bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water.
  In a second, combine breadcrumbs, and parsley.
• Bread the cutlets
  Dip into the egg wash, then press into the breadcrumb mixture, coating evenly. Repeat.
  Lay them on a wire rack or plate and let rest for 5-10 minutes (this helps the coating stick).
• Fry the chicken
  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (oil should shimmer but not smoke).
  Fry cutlets 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain excess oil.

To Plate:

• Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
• Optional: top with a light arugula salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Casa D’Angelo
1201 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
(954) 564-1234
www.casa-d-angelo.com

Ingredients:
8 eggs
3.5 oz crumbled feta
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano or favorite spices

Method of Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put olive oil or spray in an oven-proof pan, then put the feta cheese in the middle surrounded by your eggs.
• Season with salt, pepper and spices.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the eggs are set.
• Remove from oven and, using a fork, mix eggs and cheese together until creamy.

Be careful not to scratch your pan!

This dish is best served over your favorite crusty bread.

Enjoy!

The Chef: Marcelo Palacios
The Restaurant: Rò Steakhouse, Coral Gables
The Dish: Spicy Rigatoni

Ingredients:
1 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
2 roasted Fresno peppers – chopped
4 cloved garlic – minced
half an onion – diced
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 basil leaf
2 tbsp butter
1 burratina (1 piece)
Olive oil
1 package of rigatoni – cooked according to instructions

Method of Preparation:

In a large pot over medium heat, saute peppers, onions and garlic in olive oil until onions start to sweat.
Season with salt and pepper, and add tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to low and cook until the tomatoes have broken up, about 30-45 minutes.
Follow with heavy cream, parmesan, and basil.
Use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce (or blend in a blender).
Spoon some of the sauce into a skillet, then add cooked rigatoni pasta.
Toss and season with salt and pepper and butter.
Plate, and top with burrata and more Parmesan.

Rò Steakhouse
121 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables, FL 33134
(786) 778-4158
www.rosteakhouse.com