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At 41 years and 44 days old, James broke the record held by Karl Malone, who recorded a triple-double for the Lakers when he was 40 years and 127 days old.

James scored 14 points in a dominant first quarter, and had 22 points and 12 assists heading to the fourth. He grabbed his 10th rebound with 2:06 to play and checked out moments later, wrapping up another sensational game in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.

James is headed to the All-Star Game this weekend after being selected for the 22nd time. He got his most recent triple-double on Feb. 1, 2025.

Naji Marshall and Max Christie scored 19 points apiece for the Mavericks, who lost their ninth straight to fall into their longest skid in 28 seasons.

NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic didn't suit up against his former team, missing his fourth straight game for the Lakers with a mild hamstring strain. Star rookie Cooper Flagg sat out with a sprained foot for Dallas that will prevent him from participating in All-Star weekend at nearby Intuit Dome.

James and Austin Reaves sat out the Lakers' loss to San Antonio on Tuesday for health maintenance, but both returned in a comfortable victory. Reaves had 18 points and six assists.

Rui Hachimura scored 21 points for the Lakers, who have won seven of 11.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said he expects Doncic to return after the All-Star break. Redick didn't know whether the Slovenian superstar will play in the All-Star Game after leading the NBA in votes.

Up next

Mavericks: At Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 20.

Lakers: Host the Clippers on Friday, Feb. 20.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

At 41 years and 44 days old, James broke the record held by Karl Malone, who recorded a triple-double for the Lakers when he was 40 years and 127 days old.

James scored 14 points in a dominant first quarter, and had 22 points and 12 assists heading to the fourth. He grabbed his 10th rebound with 2:06 to play and checked out moments later, wrapping up another sensational game in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.

James is headed to the All-Star Game this weekend after being selected for the 22nd time. He got his most recent triple-double on Feb. 1, 2025.

Naji Marshall and Max Christie scored 19 points apiece for the Mavericks, who lost their ninth straight to fall into their longest skid in 28 seasons.

NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic didn't suit up against his former team, missing his fourth straight game for the Lakers with a mild hamstring strain. Star rookie Cooper Flagg sat out with a sprained foot for Dallas that will prevent him from participating in All-Star weekend at nearby Intuit Dome.

James and Austin Reaves sat out the Lakers' loss to San Antonio on Tuesday for health maintenance, but both returned in a comfortable victory. Reaves had 18 points and six assists.

Rui Hachimura scored 21 points for the Lakers, who have won seven of 11.

BUCKS 110, THUNDER 93

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng had 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, and Milwaukee beat Oklahoma City.

The Thunder traded Dieng just before the deadline. The 6-foot-9 Frenchman was the G-League Finals MVP as the Oklahoma City Blue won the championship in 2024 and a Thunder reserve.

Both teams were missing important pieces.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers was out attending a funeral, and assistant Darvin Ham filled in. Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a right calf strain.

Oklahoma City played without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and co-star Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain). Both will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.

AJ Green scored 17 points for the Bucks, and obby Portis added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Isaiah Joe scored 17 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who were coming off road wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix.

TRAIL BLAZERS 135, JAZZ 119

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 31 points and Donovan Clingan added 23 points and 18 rebounds as Portland beat Utah — hours after the Jazzlost Jaren Jackson Jr. to knee surgeryand werefined $500,000 by the NBAfor sitting healthy stars.

Clingan also had a career-high seven assists and three blocks. Holiday had nine rebounds and seven assists to lead Portland (27-29) to its fourth victory in five games.

Jerami Grant added 18 points and Scoot Henderson scored 15 in his fourth game this season.

Brice Sensabaugh had 28 points while Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier each scored 15 for Utah (18-38).

In his first NBA game, Utah two-way player Blake Hinson scored 11 points and hit a 3-pointer to pull the Jazz to 111-108. But the Blazers responded with an 11-2 run capped by Holiday's layup to clinch the win.

Clingan sparked a 10-0 spurt with dominating play on both ends to give the Trail Blazers a 75-65 lead. Portland outscored the short-handed Jazz 40-23 in the third quarter to take control.

Jackson, who led the Jazz to a 2-1 record since arriving from Memphis in a trade last week, did not play. In a post-trade physical exam, Jackson was diagnosed with a benign growth in his left knee and will have surgery next week.

The five pardoned players are Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon.

"As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation," Johnson wrote on X.

She then added that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally told Newton of the news.

Klecko, 72, was sentenced to three months in jail in 1993 for lying to a federal grand jury about an auto-insurance fraud scam in which he took part. He was a two-time All-Pro defensive lineman with the New York Jets from 1977-88. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

The 64-year-old Newton, a two-time All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion offensive lineman with the 1990s Cowboys, was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2002 after he was arrested with 175 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car near Dallas.

Lewis, 46, pleaded guilty in 2004 to using a cell phone to try to set up a drug deal and was sentenced to four months. He played running back for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in his 10-year career. He ran for 10,607 yards and 58 touchdowns. His best season came in 2003, when he rushed for 2,066 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He was Offensive Player of the Year that season and made All-Pro and the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career.

Henry played running back for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos from 2001-07. He posted back-to-back seasons with more than 1,350 yards with the Bills in 2002-03. The 47-year-old received a three-year prison sentence in 2009 for financing an interstate drug ring.

Cannon served three years of a five-year sentence beginning in 1983 for taking part in a counterfeit-money-printing operation. A two-time All-Pro and three-time AFL champion, Cannon was perhaps best known for his days starring at half back at LSU in the late 1950s. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. He died at age 80 in 2018.

--Field Level Media

98th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon - Inside

Byrne, who also has starred in "Bridesmaids," "Neighbors," "Insidious" and "Damages," will take part in a parade through the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts. After that, she will receive her pudding pot award at a celebratory roast. She will then attend a performance of Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 177th production "Salooney Tunes."

In her review of "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You," TheAssociated Press' Jocelyn Noveck wrotethat the film gave Byrne "a chance to display versatility and grit in surely the toughest dramatic role of her career."

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ActorMichael Keaton, known for his roles in films such as "Batman," "Birdman," "Beetlejuice" and "Spotlight," is the 2026 Man of the Year. He received his pudding pot Feb. 6.

"We are thrilled to honor Rose Byrne as our Woman of the Year," Hasty Pudding Theatricals President Daisy Nussbaum said in a statement. "Hot off a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination, it's only right that she receives the most prestigious award of all: a pudding pot."

The Pudding is the oldest theatrical organization in the nation and one of the oldest in the world. Since 1951, it has bestowed the award annually on women including actors Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson and Annette Bening. Last year, the winner was"Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo.

Byrne, who is Australian, also acted in "Juliet, Naked," "Get Him to the Greek" and "28 Weeks Later." Her theater credits include "Medea, You Can't Take it With You" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and she will star opposite Kelli O'Hara in the revival of "Fallen Angels" on Broadway starting in March.

Like Episodes 1 and 2, which also debuted Feb. 12, the third installment shares tidbits about the former first family which might pique the interest of viewers. In the first few minutes, John (Paul Anthony Kelly) reads a card from the numerous bouquets well-wishers have sent toJacqueline Kennedy Onassis(Naomi Watts) following her diagnosis with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"You're in my reflections," John reads from one card. "Michael Jackson?"

"Mom secured his book deal,"Caroline Kennedy(Grace Gummer) tells her brother.

And in actuality, the former first lady did help arrange that book deal,according to Reuters. Onassis began working as an editor at Doubleday in 1978. According to Stephen Davis, who collaborated with Jackson on his 1988 memoir "Moonwalk," Onassis was the "only person in America who could get him on the phone."Here are the real stories behind other notable moments in Episode 3. Subsequent episodes, to be released weekly (FX, Thursdays at 9 ET/PT, and streaming on Hulu), will be fact-checked as well.

Was John F. Kennedy Jr. really jumped?

John tells Carolyn (Sarah Pidgeon) in "Love Story" that he was robbed as a teenager.

"You know I got jumped in a park once," he says. "I was like 15, riding my bike to a tennis lesson, and this guy just socked me, jacked my bike and took off."

The New York Times reportedon an incident in 1974, when Kennedy Jr. was 13. While riding his bike through Central Park en route to a tennis lesson, the outlet said a man "grabbed both the bike and the tennis racket and rode off into the park."

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette became tabloid fodder when the publisher son of President John F. Kennedy, described as the "closest thing to American royalty," and the Calvin Klein publicist, "a star in her own right," met in 1992 while at his fitting for the clothing brand. In recent years, Bessette's fashion has found a new following – particularly on TikTok – as a new generation fawns over her simple but chic wardrobe. After they were married, Bessette was known as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The end of the Kennedys' love story shocked the world when they died in a plane crash alongside Bessette-Kennedy's sister, Lauren Bessette. The former first son was piloting the aircraft when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard in 1999. Now, director Ryan Murphy is releasing the first installment of his "Love Story" anthology based on the whirlwind romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. See their relationship in photos, beginning here
at the U.S. Customs House in New York City on May 19, 1999, for the Newman's Own/George Awards.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John Kennedy Jr. with wife Carolyn Bessette arrive at Bright Night Whitney, a retrospective celebration of a century of American art at the Whitney Museum in New York City March 9, 1999. Kennedy was the publisher of George magazine. The pair married in 1996 on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy leave the funeral of Michael Kennedy at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, Massachusetts, after services, Jan. 3, 1998.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette stop for photographers after Kennedy presented actor Robert De Niro with the Municipal Art Society of New York's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal at a gala dinner in New York, March 4, 1997.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy leave at the end of the White House Correspondent's annual dinner in Washington, D.C., May 1, 1999.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy arrive at a gala to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Whitney Museum's Madison Avenue building in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy arrive at the White House for a state dinner in honor of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The July 18, 1999, edition of the Cape Cod Times featured the news that John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane went down off Martha's Vineyard on July 16, 1999.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, Max Kennedy and Victoria Kennedy gather with family on the beach at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, to await word of John F. Kennedy Jr., whose plane went missing off Martha's Vineyard, July 17, 1999.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Victoria Reggie Kennedy consoles Sen. Ted Kennedy after the Coast Guard transports John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette's bodies after they were recovered from the plane.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Members of the Kennedy family head out to sea aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sanibel which took them to the USS Briscoe for a burial at sea on July 22, 1999.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A makeshift memorial for John Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette, at sunset on Moshup Beach, Martha's Vineyard.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A photograph of John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette sits among flowers and other items at a makeshift shrine outside the couple's apartment building in New York. Kennedy, his wife and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when the plane he was flying crashed off Martha's Vineyard on July 16, 1999.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hundreds of flowers and letters to John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette were placed on the hedges and the ground at the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's whirlwind romance

John F. Kennedy Jr.andCarolyn Bessettebecame tabloid fodderwhen the publisher son of President John F. Kennedy, described as the "closest thing to American royalty," and the Calvin Klein publicist, "a star in her own right," met in 1992 while at his fitting for the clothing brand. In recent years, Bessette's fashion has found a new following – particularly on TikTok – as a new generation fawns over her simple but chic wardrobe. After they were married, Bessette was known as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The end of the Kennedys' love story shocked the world when they died in a plane crash alongside Bessette-Kennedy's sister, Lauren Bessette. The former first son was piloting the aircraft when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard in 1999. Now, director Ryan Murphy is releasing thefirst installment of his "Love Story" anthologybased on the whirlwind romance betweenJohn F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. See their relationship in photos, beginning hereat the U.S. Customs House in New York City on May 19, 1999, for the Newman's Own/George Awards.

Did Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis burn saved letters before her death?

"Love Story" shows Jackie tossing letters into her fireplace. In one, "The Godfather" star Marlon Brando complimented her dance moves, which he hoped to see again soon.

"I don't need my personal correspondence memorialized in the Smithsonian," Jackie tells John. "I don't want them to be preserved publicly or privately."

The real Onassis also torched letters from her collection,J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of "Jackie: Public, Private, Secret," learned from architect John "Jack" Warnecke.

Warnecke, who designed President Kennedy's resting place in Arlington National Cemetery, also became romantically involved with Onassis in the mid-1960s.

Warnecke told Taraborrelli, "Every night that week, she was inviting a trusted friend or family member to her home to take part in" the burning of the letters. Per Taraborrelli, "Jackie untied the yarn and took a letter from the stack. She read it before placing it into the fire."

Onassis died on May 19, 1994, after her cancer metastasized. She was 64.

Did Daryl Hannah surprise John F. Kennedy Jr. at his mom's wake?

In "Love Story," John is stunned to see Daryl Hannah (Dree Hemingway) show up for his mom's wake at Jackie's New York City apartment. She attempts to connect with him about grief, bringing up the loss of her dog. John seems to resent her presence and insinuation that they could rekindle their relationship.

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In "JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography," Carole Radziwill, who was married to JFK Jr.'s cousin Anthony Radziwill, says she helped Hannah pick out "a proper funeral dress. I could see it was over. John could barely look at her. I think she knew, too."

Sasha Chermayeff, a friend of JFK Jr.'s, says in the book that he told her he was "dreading dealing" with Hannah and that the actress incessantly spoke about her ill dog. "I'm thinking, oh, my God. I'm sorry that you have an old dog who's sick," Chermayeff said. "But your partner − whatever it is right now − he's downstairs in the kitchen. His mother died."

"I believe they broke up for good shortly after the funeral," Radziwill said, "because three months later Anthony and I got married and John had quietly rekindled his romance with Carolyn."

Did Caroline Kennedy plant marijuana in her mom's garden?

Episode 3 shows John and Caroline both overwhelmed after greeting mourners at Jackie's wake. In need of a reprieve, they take a beat in their mother's bedroom.

"Remember when she found your weed plant?" John asks his older sister. "In the garden at Hyannis?"

"She didn't find it," Caroline says. "A police officer found it."

"Didn't you tell her it was a zucchini?" John asks.

"Parsley," Caroline corrects him. "Her voice dropped into that really scary octave."

Kate Storey recounts the time Onassis discovered marijuana growing in her garden in her book"White House by the Sea."Onassis' assistant, Kathy McKeon, curious as to why "the teenaged Kennedy cousins" were in the garden, went to investigate. She brought over Jack Dempsey, former lieutenant of the Massachusetts State Police, who was "often hanging out in the Secret Service trailer." He confirmed McKeon's suspicions.

"He and the Secret Service men ripped the plants up that afternoon," Storey writes. Though a year of the incident is not specified in an excerpt, Storey adds, "Caroline and John were too young to have had anything to do with it."

A who's who of celebrities stepped out Feb. 3, 2026, for the premiere of FX's "Love Story." The show is director Ryan Murphy's first installment of an anthology based on the whirlwind romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

Scroll to see stars on the red carpet, beginning with Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon. Pidgeon and Kelly star as Kennedy and Bessette.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Naomi Watts attends the premiere at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 3, 2026 in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sarah Pidgeon, Grace Gummer, Paul Anthony Kelly and Naomi Watts

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ashley Iaconetti

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Elizabeth Sulcer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Alessandro Nivola

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Noah Fearnley

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jordan Roth

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Benito Skinner

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dree Hemingway

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kim Rosenstock

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Constance Zimmer

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Omari K. Chancellor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Stars step out for Ryan Murphy's 'Love Story' premere: See photos

A who's who of celebrities stepped out Feb. 3, 2026, for thepremiere of FX's "Love Story."The show is director Ryan Murphy'sfirst installment of an anthologybased on the whirlwind romance betweenJohn F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.Scroll to see stars on the red carpet, beginning with Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon. Pidgeon and Kelly star as Kennedy and Bessette.

Did Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis write a letter to JFK Jr. before her death?

Following Jackie's death in "Love Story," John reads a letter from his mom.

"Dear John," it begins. "I understand the pressures you will always have to face as a Kennedy, even though we brought you into this world as an innocent. You, more than anyone, have a place in history. No matter what path you blaze in life, all I ask is that you continue to make Caroline, the Kennedy family, and most importantly yourself proud. Stay close to those who know you and love you as you are. All my love, Mommy."

William D. Cohan wrote of a letter penned to JFK Jr. in his book,"Four Friends: Promising Lives Cut Short,"which closely matches the one mentioned in "Love Story."

"A few days before Jackie Kennedy Onassis died, in May 1994, she wrote a letter to her son John, to be opened only after her death," Cohan writes. " 'I understand the pressure you'll forever have to endure as a Kennedy, even though we brought you into this world as an innocent. You, especially, have a place in history. No matter what course in life you choose, all I can ask is that you and Caroline continue to make me, the Kennedy family, and yourself proud.' "

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Love Story fact check Episode 3 – Did Jackie burn private letters?

During a candid conversation about the early days of her relationship with the sports legend, Amy Earnhardt joked that thepop star"tried to fish my man."

"It's 2008, maybe [2009]. We had just started dating, and I think I'm still living in Jacksonville, but I come up to Daytona to hang out with Dale. And I hear that Jessica Simpson's at the racetrack. We're the same age. We both came from Texas, so I've always kind of been a fan of hers," Amy recalled on her"Bless Your 'Hardt" podcast.

Jessica Simpson Faces Unexpected Turn At 45 After Eric Johnson Separation

At the time, she said she was excited about the possibility of meeting the "I Wanna Love You Forever" singer.

"And I'm like, 'Hey, Dale, do you think that you could get Jessica Simpson to come to the bus so I could meet her?' And he's like, 'I don't think that'd be a really good idea.' And I was like, 'Why not?'"

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Jessica Simpson Says She's 'Into Younger Men' And Having Fun After Splitting From Husband Eric Johnson

"And he shows me this clip … of her doing an interview earlier that day, how she had had a dream that she and Dale Jr. got married in a treehouse."

Amy then drew the line.

"And I'm like, 'Yeah… don't bring that b---- over here. It's a good idea," Amy joked as Dale laughed.

She added that the moment left a lasting impression.

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"I haven't bought a Jessica Simpson shoe or a bag — you know, how she's got all the things — ever since then. I was like, she was f---ing trying to fish my man … Yes, she was. She knew exactly what she was doing."

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The alleged near run-in happened in the late 2000s, when Amy and Dale Jr. were just starting their relationship and Simpson was rising to pop stardom.

Simpson later met former NFL player Eric Johnson in May 2010. The two got engaged six months later andmarried in 2014after welcoming their first two children, Maxwell and Ace. They welcomed daughter Birdie in 2019.

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In November 2024, Johnson was spotted without his wedding ring as Simpson focused on a music comeback.

"She's working on music and splits her time betweenLos Angelesand Nashville. Eric spends all of his time in LA, where the kids go to school," a source told People at the time.

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"Jess and Eric very much live separate lives."

Meanwhile, Dale Jr. and Amy tied the knot in 2016 and nowshare two daughters, Isla, 7, and Nicole, 5.

Original article source:Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s wife marks her territory after Jessica Simpson's attempt to 'fish' her husband

The report by the Africa Solar Industry Association says the continent's solar installed capacity expanded 17% in 2025, boosted by imports of Chinese-made solar panels. Global solar power capacity rose 23% in 2025 to 618 GW, slowing from a 44% increase in 2024.

"Chinese companies are the main drivers in Africa's green transition," said Cynthia Angweya-Muhati, acting CEO of the Kenya Renewable Energy Association. "They are aggressively investing in and building robust supply chains in Africa green energy ecosystem."

Some of that capacity has yet to be rolled out. Africa has only 23.4 gigawatts peak (GWp) of working solar capacity even though nearly 64 GWp of solar equipment has been shipped to the continent since 2017. A gigawatt peak represents 1 billion watts of maximum, optimum power output under ideal conditions.

"Africa's growth is driven by changing policies and enabling conditions in a number of countries, "said John Van Zuylen, CEO of the Africa Solar Industry Association.

"Solar energy has moved beyond a handful of early adopters to become a broader continental priority," he said recently on the sidelines of the Inter Solar Africa summit in Nairobi. "What we are seeing is not temporary. It is policies aligning with market dynamics."

Historically, South Africa dominated solar imports in Africa, at one point accounting for roughly half of all panels shipped to the continent. The latest data show its share has slipped below a third as demand surged elsewhere. Last year, 20 African nations set new annual records for solar imports, as 25 countries imported a total of at least 100 megawatts of capacity.

Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as Africa's second-largest importer as solar energy and battery storage provide a practical and affordable alternative to diesel generators and unreliable grid power. In Algeria, solar imports soared more than 30-fold year-on-year. Imports also surged in Zambia and Botswana.

At least 23 African countries, including South Africa, Tunisia, Kenya, Chad and the Central African Republic, are now generating over 5% of their electricity from solar energy, the report said.

Prices have fallen both for solar panels and batteries, mostly from China, enabling households and businesses to rely on solar plus batteries for round-the-clock electricity, the report said. Battery storage costs in Africa fell to $112 per kilowatt-hour in 2025 from an average of $144 per kilowatt-hour in 2023 as improved technology made storage systems more flexible and longer lasting.

"This ever-decreasing price of storage has game-changing implications for Africa, which has a dire need for stable and baseload power," said Van Zuyken.

The gradual removal of diesel subsidies in Nigeria in the past two years also has helped accelerate adoption of solar energy. The policy was implemented sector by sector to cushion its impact, making diesel increasingly expensive and nudging businesses and households toward solar. In September, Nigeria announced plans for a 1 GW solar panel factory, the largest in West Africa. Similar facilities are under construction in Egypt, South Africa and Ethiopia.

As Africa moves to build its own manufacturing capacity, the industry is looking to China to transfer knowhow to help alleviate Africa's dependence on imported equipment and technology.

Jobs won't be confined to manufacturing.

"The solar jobs boom is occurring in services including installation, maintenance, distribution and financing, where thousands of small and medium enterprises are emerging to meet rising demand," Van Zuylen said.

Unlike regions such as the Middle East, where governments publish clear 10 or 20-year energy roadmaps, many African markets lack consistent policy signals. So, uncertainty over policies remains a challenge. Solar firms operating across Africa say unpredictable tax regimes, shifting import duties and unclear long-term energy plans undermine investor confidence.

"The problem is not the opportunity. It's visibility," said Amos Wemanya, senior analyst on renewable energy at Powershift Africa. "If a government announces a plan, companies need to trust that it will remain in place."

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.