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YouTube star Michelle Khare, the risk-taking host of “Challenge Accepted” (5.1 million YouTube subscribers), went old school spy in her quest for a memorable face-to-face meeting with Cruise at the London premiere of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” on May 15.

Khare, 32, changed into an elaborate old man disguise, complete with a latex mask, in a nearby phone booth before entering the premiere as a guest, as revealed in her TikTok and Instagram videos.

“Tom Cruise is my idol; he is Hollywood’s last action star,” Khare tells USA TODAY. “I’m known as a YouTube daredevil, so I wanted to make a strong impression and re-create one of Ethan Hunt’s most iconic moments. But it all could have ended up pretty embarrassing.”

In Season 2 of “Nine Perfect Strangers,” the secretive healing guru heads to a mysterious Alpine resort with a new batch of wellness-seekers “looking for transformative paths to betterment and happiness.”

“Over the course of a week, she takes them to the brink,” says Hulu about the new season, forcing them to “connect in ways they could never imagine” at the retreat, while Masha herself “is forced to confront some past demons … threatening to destroy both her own personal wellness and that of her guests.”

“Will they make it? Will she? Masha is willing to try anything in the interest of healing everyone involved, including herself,” the platform adds.

Prosecutors in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex-crimes trial continue to target his alleged cycle of abuse as more witnesses come forward with shocking claims.

Following bombshell testimony from Danity Kane alum Dawn Richard and Cassie Ventura Fine’s former best friend Kerry Morgan, jurors reconvened in Manhattan court on May 20 to hear more accounts from those in Combs’ orbit.

Richard, a former member of Combs’ platinum-selling girl group, told the court on May 19 that she saw Combs beat his ex-girlfriend Ventura Fine in 2009 at his Los Angeles home, grabbing her hair and dragging her up a flight of stairs. Meanwhile, Morgan testified that Combs once attacked her in Cassie’s California home, choking Morgan and hitting her in the head with a wooden hanger.

Combs’ former personal assistant David James also took the stand to reflect on his employment with Combs, including candid conversations with Ventura Fine on her relationship with the Grammy-winning rapper. Ventura Fine’s mother, Regina Ventura, is expected to testify as well.

Constructors: Tom Pepper & Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• HISS (1A: Sound from an annoyed cat) The only time my cat, Willow, ever lets out a HISS is when she discovers an unwelcome feline visitor in her house. I don’t have any pictures of that, since when that happens I’m usually playing referee between the cats. Instead, here’s a picture of Willow trying to convince me to pet her instead of working. (How could I possibly refuse?)

• WAS (26A: “It ___ a dark and stormy night”) In the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy began using a typewriter on top of his doghouse on July 12, 1965 (nearly 60 years ago!). Many of Snoopy’s stories begin, “It WAS a dark and stormy night.”
• ORCAS (30A: Whales known as “wolves of the sea”) ORCAS and wolves are both apex predators, meaning they have no natural predators. ORCAS earned the nickname “wolves of the sea,” because they hunt in groups, like wolves do.
• PASTA (33A: Fusilli or gemelli) Fusilli is corkscrew-shaped PASTA. Gemelli is a type of PASTA that appears to be two tubes twisted around each other.
• AFGHAN HOUND (36A: Silky-haired hunting dog) The AFGHAN HOUND gets its name because the breed originated in the mountain regions of Afghanistan. AFGHAN HOUNDs are characterized by fur that is long, fine, and silky.
• FORT (42A: Structure that might be made of pillows and blankets) I am a fan of a blanket FORT; it makes such a cozy hideaway. This is a nice theme bonus – whether you call a BLANKET a THROW, an AFGHAN, or a COVER – it can be used to build a FORT.
• COD (48A: Common fish for lutefisk) Lutefisk is made by drying and salting COD (or whitefish), and then rehydrating it in a lye-solution. The result is gelatinous in texture. Lutefisk originated from Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland). It is popular in some parts of the United States, where it is often associated with Christmas celebrations.
• ITHACA (2D: Cornell’s city) Cornell University was founded in ITHACA, New York in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Cornell is a land grant university (an institution of higher education given federal land by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890).
• ALF (6D: 1980s sitcom alien from the planet Melmac) ALF is  a TV sitcom that ran for four seasons from 1986 to 1990. The title character was an “alien life form” (aka an extraterrestrial, or ET) from the planet Melmac.
• OTTAWA (8D: City home to Canada’s Parliament Hill) OTTAWA is the capital of Canada. It is located in the southern part of the province of Ontario, and is Canada’s fourth-largest city (following Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary). Parliament Hill is an area of land in downtown OTTAWA, located along the OTTAWA River. The Parliament of Canada is housed in three buildings located on Parliament Hill.
• TINA (10D: Bette’s partner on “The L Word”) The L Word was a Showtime TV drama that aired from 2004-2009. One of the show’s main characters is Bette Porter, portrayed by Jennifer Beals, considered by some to be one of the most important LGBTQ TV characters of all time. Another main character is TINA Kennard, portrayed by Laurel Holloman. As the clue mentions, TINA and Bette are partners (though their relationship is on again, off again throughout the series).
• NAS (22D: Rapper Lil ___ X) Lil NAS X’s song “Old Town Road” (2019) is tied (with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey) for the most weeks (19) at the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.
• AGE (34D: What Adele’s album titles represent) To date, Adele has recorded four studio albums: 19 (2008), 21 (2011), 25 (2015), and 30 (2021). The numbers reflect Adele’s AGE when she wrote the songs on the album, not necessarily her AGE when the albums were released.
• KFC (39D: Colonel Sanders’ chain) KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, was founded in North Corbin, Kentucky in 1930. Founder Harland Sanders (1890-1980) was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel (an honor bestowed by Kentucky’s governor) in 1935, and became known as Colonel Sanders, the company’s spokesman.
• REDDIT (47D: Popular discussion website) REDDIT is an online news aggregation and discussion website. One of the features of REDDIT is multiple discussion boards, or subreddits, focusing on a variety of topics. REDDIT users get to upvote and downvote posts, so the most popular posts appear at the top of a feed.

The former reality TV star’s cause of death on May 17 has not been confirmed but a preliminary finding suggests that it was likely due to congestive heart failure, according to the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office.

The Shreveport woman became well-known during her appearance on Season 11 of the hit TLC show, which showcases the emotional journeys of morbidly obese patients as they lose weight through diet and gastric bypass surgery. 

Season 11 Episode 2 followed Pottain, the youngest of three siblings who turned to food for emotional comfort following a series of challenging life experiences. When she was 12, her mother died suddenly and her father moved away to be with another woman. She lived with her oldest sister until she turned 15 when her father co-signed a place for her to live on her own.

Porter, the late model-actress who dated the hip-hop mogul from 1994 to 2007, has been referenced during Combs’ ongoing criminal trial in Manhattan — in which Combs, 55, is accused of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Porter’s enduring romance with the Bad Boy Records founder was brought up when Combs’ former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine, took the stand. The one-time R&B star, whose relationship with Combs also spanned a decade, got candid on her feelings toward Porter as she opened up about the harrowing abuse she allegedly experienced from Combs.

From her hip-hop love story with Combs to her tragic 2018 death, here’s everything you need to know about Kim Porter.

Should Kris Allen have prevailed over Adam Lambert? Queen would like a word.

Carrie Underwood over Bo Bice? We loved the hair, Bo, but sorry, Carrie was the rightful empress.

Lee DeWyze instead of Crystal Bowersox? Our blood pressure spikes just recalling that travesty.

And there are no words for the injustice that was ousting Jennifer Hudson in seventh place during the show’s third season. But the “Idol” spotlight still allowed for the discovery of Hudson’s talent and eventual mega-stardom.  

Though the “Idol” hitmaking machine now creaks rather than churns out superstars, the platform is still unparalleled when compared to its singing competition peers.

We’ve ranked the 23 “American Idol” winners based primarily on sheer talent, but with an obvious nod toward their success after the show (new winner Jamal Roberts excepted from that criteria). 

Please, continue arguing.

23. Lee DeWyze (2010) 

Despite his affable personality and gruff coffeehouse croon, DeWyze lacked the undeniable spark and grit of Crystal Bowersox, the Janis Joplin incarnate who outrageously only placed second that season. – Patrick Ryan

As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal trial entered its third week, prosecutors are releasing images of the belongings found in his hotel room after the embattled music mogul was arrested at a New York hotel.

Photos from Combs’ hotel room at the Park Hyatt New York, where he was taken into custody on Sept. 16 on racketeering and sex-crimes charges, show an illuminating scene of the hip-hop billionaire’s life in the moments leading up to his arrest.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Yasin Binda took the stand May 16 and described to jurors the items her team discovered, including baby oil, lubricant, prescription medication and a device that she described “as potentially mood lighting.”

The jury, comprising eight men and four women as well as a group of alternates, saw photos from the room as well as an exhibit bag with drugs found in his nightstand drawers, which tested positive for MDMA and ketamine.