Over 650,000 white flags planted on National Mall to honor American COVID-19 deaths.Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty For the second year running, life expectancy in the United States has dropped. The report explained “excess deaths due to COVID-19 and other causes in 2020 and 2021 led to an overall decline in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021 of 2.7 years for the total population, 3.1 years for males, and 2.3 years for females....

Photo: Catherine Ivill/GettyIran has called for the United States to be ousted from the 2022 World Cup after U.S. Soccer removed Iran’s flag emblem on a social media post,CNN reported.On Saturday, the U.S. shared a graphic listing the tournament’s Group B standings, including England, Iran, the United States and Wales. However, the post featured Iran’s national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic.U.S. Soccer told CNNthat the edited graphic was only intended to stay up for 24 hours in an attempt to “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights....

Kate Kaufling.Photo:Eddie Justice | UK Athletics Eddie Justice | UK Athletics A University of Kentucky dancer has died at age 20 following a battle with bone cancer, the university’s athletic department announced. Kate Kaufling, a college sophomore who joined the dance team with her twin sister Abbey in the fall, was diagnosed with a common bone cancer calledosteosarcomain June 2023 after noticing a few lumps and swollen lymph nodes, according to aGoFundMepage....

Usher performing in July 2022.Photo:Denise Truscello/Getty Denise Truscello/Getty Usheris taking his show on the road! The “Love in this Club” singer, 45, announced he will be embarking on a North American tour this year following his performance at theSuper BowlLVIIIhalftime showand the end of his Las Vegas residency. The Live Nation tour, dubbed the USHER: Past Present Future tour, will feature music from throughout his 30-year career, including hits from his first album, 1994’sUsher, to new singles from his ninth studio albumComing Home, which is set for release on Feb....

Alithia Haven Ramirez.Photo: Facebook/Google Her drawing entry is showcased on a special page that honors Alithia and the other victims of the shooting. The colorful drawing depicts a little girl sitting on a sofa with two balls of yarn alongside a dog who is holding a toy. “Google” is spelled out with various objects on the wall in the background. “I want the world to see my art and show the world what I can do, I want people to be happy when they see my passion in art,” Alithia wrote....

Whether you want to indulge in some self-care, treat your best friend to something, have an S.O. to buy for or need a little something for your kids, these picks have you covered.Shop our editors' favorite finds below. Whether you want to indulge in some self-care, treat your best friend to something, have an S.O. to buy for or need a little something for your kids, these picks have you covered....

Valerie Ponzio.Photo: Hannah BurtonValerie Ponziois embracing her hometown and giving fans a sense of community.On Friday, the Texas native is releasing her debut EPFrontera. To mark the release and in celebration ofHispanic Heritage Month, Ponzio spoke to PEOPLE about why she thinks it’s important to never forget where you came from.“I hope that when they listen, they can feel that love of life and that love for family that means so much to me,” Ponzio, 32, tells PEOPLE of her new releases....

Natalia Bryant celebrates her 21st birthday alongside her mom, Vanessa Bryant.Photo:Rachel Zoe/Instagram Rachel Zoe/Instagram Among the guests in attendance at festivites wereCiara,Russell Wilson,Winnie HarlowandKelly Rowland. Vanessa, 41, posted aslideshowon her Instagram showing some of the fabulous photos captured in a black-and-white photo booth throughout the night, including a sweet shot of Ciara, Rowland, Vanessa and Natalia, as well as a photo of the birthday girl withPau Gasol, her late father’s former teammate....

Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom and Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz in ‘Riverdale’.Photo:The CW The CW Vanessa Morganstill feels really connected to herRiverdalegirls. The actress, 32, played Toni Topaz on the CW hit series for six years and she tells PEOPLE the show “will always have such a special place in my heart.” “And now we have such busy lives, and I live in a different country,” she says, as she’s still based in Vancouver, where the show was filmed, while most of her costars returned to the U....

Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Venus Williamsfeels “really grateful” for the way her mother Oracene Price encouraged her and her siblings to take care of their mental health. “It’s important to engage in therapy even before you might have something exactly to talk about, to work through and prepare yourself for anything that might come up in your life,” Williams, 42, tells PEOPLE. The tennis star believes everyone “should be proactive about” their mental health, even before it becomes a concern....

Victoria Beckham at her Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection presentation.Photo:ULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty ULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty A lot was going on atVictoria Beckham’s Paris Fashion Week show on Friday night. The fashion designer showed her autumn winter 2024 collection in the French capital, and it was elevated neutrals, structured silhouettes and sexy pops of color. Ever the posh icon, Victoria accessorized her boot with an all-black outfit and wore her long brunette hair down and loose....

Pen Pals Ned Felder and Kris Feeney.Photo:South Carolina State University South Carolina State University An Army captain in the Vietnam War and a young girl from Michigan struck up an unlikely relationship 56 years ago as pen pals — and now they’ve finally met! The thoughtful note attached to the items resonated with the 1959 SC State graduate, who reminisced about the “divine guidance” of their connection. “It was rich, emotional — someone, a little girl in seventh grade — being able to correspond with her,” Felder said, per the release....

Photo:Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Federal prosecutors have charged a Virginia college student with plotting to attack the Israeli Consulate building in New York. Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, an 18-year-old freshman at George Mason University originally from Egypt, was arrested on Tuesday and faces charges related to distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, as part of an alleged plot to blow up the consular office, per a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia....