VOUX MAG

Martin Short's daughter, Katherine Short, died at age 42, the family confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Feb. 24

NEED TO KNOW

• "Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world," the family said

• The comedian and Steve Martin had three shows on their "The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short" tour scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28, all of which have been postponed in light of the news

Martin Shorthas postponed an upcoming stop on his tour following his daughter's death.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, PEOPLE confirmed thatthe actor's daughter, Katherine Short, died at age 42.

"It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short," the family said in a statement. "The Short family is devastated by this loss and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world."

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call from a Hollywood Hills home in the evening on Monday, Feb. 23, and the L.A. coroner confirms to PEOPLE that Katherine died by suicide.

Martin, 75, has since postponed his andSteve Martin's show, slated for Friday, Feb. 27, in Milwaukee. A message posted on the Pabst Theater Group website cited "unforeseen circumstances" as the reason for the show's postponement.

TheOnly Murders in the Buildingstars had two other shows scheduled this weekend, a matinee and an evening performance in Minneapolis on Saturday, Feb. 28, both of which have also been postponed.

Advertisement

The duo's next show on "The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short" tour is slated for March 13 in Washington, D.C.

Katherine was one of three kids Martin shared with his late wife,Nancy Dolman, whodied of ovarian cancer in 2010. He and Nancy married in 1980 and adoptedKatherine and her brothers,Oliver Patrick, 39, and Henry Hayter, 36.

Katherine worked in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker and also part-time at the clinic, Amae Health, to provide community outreach, family support groups, peer support and psychotherapy.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

She largely remained out of the public eye throughout her life and career, though she did attend a handful of events with her father over the years to support him. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology and gender sexuality studies from New York University in 2006 and went on to earn her master's in social work from the University of Southern California in 2010.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at988lifeline.org24/7.

Read the original article onPeople

The road to the 2026Oscarsis underway.

The98th Academy Awardswill celebrate the top films from the past year from "Hamnet" to "Marty Supreme," "Sinners" and more.

Ahead of Hollywood's biggest night, nominees convened at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on Feb. 10 for the annual Oscars luncheon to take their official class photo and to mingle with each other.

The luncheon doubled as a reunion, bringing filmmakers and actors back together as nominees traded congratulations and soaked in the moment.

With the Oscars now less than a month away, we're taking a look at everything you need to know.

When are the 2026 Oscars?

The 98th Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

How to watch the 2026 Oscars?

You can watch the Oscars ceremony on ABC and streaming on Hulu.

Who is hosting?

Conan O'Brienis hosting this year's ceremony for the second year in a row.

In a Januaryinterviewwith "Good Morning America," the television host and comedian teased "a lot of possibilities" for the upcoming show.

Oscar nominations 2026: Full list of nominees

"Early on, you just generate possibilities for the show: 'What might we do?' You have to wait and see which movies are nominated, what's in the zeitgeist, so there'll be a lot of ideas that come in late. Sometimes those are the best ideas," he said.

Who is presenting?

Last year's Oscar winners Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña will return to the Oscars stage as presenters, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Feb. 19.

Producers will announce more talent joining the show in the coming weeks.

Advertisement

Who is nominated?

2026 Oscar nominations were revealed in January.

"Sinners" reigned supreme,breakingthe record for the most Oscar nominations ever, a title previously held by "Titanic," "La La Land" and "All About Eve," with 14 nominations apiece.

Close behind in this year's nominees pool were "One Battle After Another" with 13 nominations and "Marty Supreme," "Frankenstein," and "Sentimental Value" with nine nominations each. "Hamnet" is also up for eight nominations.

See the full list of nomineeshere.

Who was snubbed?

Following the Oscars nominations announcement on Jan. 22, ABC News' Chris Connelly and Kelley Carter broke down the biggest snubs and surprises.

Notable names they mentioned that were left off the list included Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for their roles in "Wicked: For Good" and Adam Sandler for his role in "Jay Kelly" opposite George Clooney, who was also left off the nominations list.

Oscar nominations 2026: Snubs and surprises

Is there a new category?

This year, the Oscars will debut a new category:achievement in casting.

The new category was announced in 2024 and films from 2025 were eligible for the award.

Casting directors who are nominated this year include Nina Gold for "Hamnet," Jennifer Venditti for "Marty Supreme," Cassandra Kulukundis for "One Battle After Another," Gabriel Domingues for "The Secret Agent" and Francine Maisler for "Sinners."

How to watch all the best picture nominated films

See our go-to guide for watching all the year's top projectshere.

Who won last year?

At the 97th Academy Awards in 2025, "Anora" took home the coveted trophy for best picture. It won five awards, including best director for Sean Baker and best actress for Mikey Madison.

Relive all the top moments from the 97th Oscarshere.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, ABC and Hulu.

Valerie Bertinelli is launching a new digital platform called Valerie's Place

NEED TO KNOW

• The project will include a library of fan-favorite content along with original programming

• "My relationship with my fans has always meant everything to me," Bertinelli said

Valerie Bertinelliwants fans to feel at home at Valerie's Place.

The celebrity chef's latest project is a digital platform that will include a library of fan-favorite content along with new, original programming.

"My relationship with my fans has always meant everything to me," Bertinelli said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "Valerie's Place is where I can share the things I love and also create brand-new content that feels honest, joyful, and truly mine."

"I've learned that you don't have to wait for someone else to hand you the opportunity, sometimes you need to create it for yourself," she added. "This platform gives me the freedom to do that, and to bring my fans along with me in a way that feels real and personal. I'm so excited for this next chapter."

When the platform launches on Wednesday, Feb. 25, viewers can access four cooking shows featuring theOne Day at a Timestar, 65.

Reheated: Valerie's Home Cookingwill see Bertinelli and her longtime producer Sophie Clark revisit recipes and episodes fromValerie's Home Cooking,while sharing behind-the-scenes stories.

Now Val's Cookingis a new "stand-and-stir" cooking show in which Bertinelli will whip up recipes she hasn't previously filmed, including both new dishes and recipes from her 2024 cookbookIndulge.

InNow We're Cooking, Bertinelli will cook with VP Preferred and VP VIP members, who are invited to comment and ask questions as they follow along.

AndMeals for Onewill focus on creating solo meals that deserve "just as much care as cooking for family and friends."

Advertisement

In mid-March, Bertinelli will expand her programming to include a new podcast.

InGetting Naked: The Podcast, which takes its name from her upcoming memoir, she and guests will have "candid conversations about life, growth, creativity, and showing up as your real self."

Superfan Supper Club, also debuting next month, will give VP VIP members the opportunity to join Bertinelli on camera and be part of the show.

And late April will bring the launch of Val's Book Club, which will feature a new read every other month.

Bertinelli's upcoming bookGetting Nakedexplores what it's like to "grow older, love harder and start over," according to the publisher William Morrow.

The memoir addresses Bertinelli's "insecurities that have haunted her for decades," including body image issues and a persistent need to be perfect.

"I'm excited if not a little nervous because this book is almost uncomfortably personal," Bertinelli told PEOPLE. "I'm hoping it reaches the right people so that they can see themselves in it and know that there's a way through all the challenges we have in our life."

Valerie's Place was developed with the new platform Visible Things and will be available on the App Store, Google Play, andValeriesPlace.com. Subscriptions offering early access and premium content start at $2 per month.

Read the original article onPeople

For Americans who call Puerto Vallarta home,the violence over the weekendwas an explosive reminder thatthey live in a countrythat is also home to some of the world's most powerful drug cartels.

But they're not about to give up their place in the sun.

Charity Palmatier, who lives year-round just outside the scenic city in a beachside development with other expats from the United States and Canada, dismissed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel'storching of buses and cars Sundayto protest the killing of its leader as "performative."

"The cartels like to make statements," Palmatier, 57, who has lived in the area for nearly a decade, told NBC News on Tuesday. "They have temper tantrums when one of their big guys gets captured or killed."

The violence erupted after drug kingpin Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, aka "El Mencho," died following a shootout with the Mexican military about 180 miles east of Puerto Vallarta.

There had been a $15 million reward for the capture of the head of a cartel that is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and which earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines.

Palmatier noted that while vehicles and some businesses were set ablaze and masked gunmen raided some residences and menaced people on the street, "no citizens were injured or killed."

"It's not the Wild West down here," she said. "It's much more safe than you would think."

Karen Davis-Farage, who divides her time between homes in Vallarta, as the expats call it, and New York City and Los Angeles, admitted that she booked a plane ticket to get out of town after a restaurant on the first floor of the building where she lives was set on fire.

"The cartel was driving up on motorcycles, they had these bags, and they were telling people to get out of the cabs, or get out of the car, or get out of a bus, and they were throwing these bags into the vehicle which was then lighting them on fire," Davis-Farage, 70, said. "Those were going on all over the city. You couldn't count all the plumes that were going on in the air."

But after it was over and she was able to go outside and see the damage, she canceled her flights back to the U.S. She said the threat appeared to be over.

"Everybody is safe and sound," she said of her friends in Puerto Vallarta.

The State Department on Tuesdaylifted its shelter-in-place warningfor U.S. citizens in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which is where Puerto Vallarta and another resort city that experienced violence, Guadalajara, are located.

Some 1.6 million U.S. citizens live in Mexico,according to government figures from 2024, many of them expats who spend the winters there, although the number of Americans living there year-round is also growing.

Mexico City is the most popular destination for American expats, according toMexico News Daily,which cited government figures.

But the coastal cities in Jalisco are increasingly becoming a magnet for Americans in search of sunshine, a lower cost of living, as well as a slower pace of life, according to various websites likeViva Tropical that areaimed at expats.

Tourist visits — and eventually a new home

Both Palmatier and Davis-Farage said they started visiting Puerto Vallarta while still in college, drawn by the city's colonial charm, its spectacular beaches and artsy vibe.

"It's very mystical," Davis-Farage said. "From the mountains to the ocean, it's so beautiful, so vibrant. There's a lot of creative people who come here and stay here from around the world."

Palmatier said she lives in an expat bubble where she doesn't need to speak Spanish well to get by. But, she said, the Mexican friends she's made have been very warm and welcoming.

Alvaro Orozco, a Houston-based real estate agent who counts expats in Mexico as his customers and who previously lived in Puerto Vallarta for three years, said none of his clients are pulling up stakes since Sunday's disturbances.

Advertisement

"No doubt what happened was scary, but generally it's very safe over there," he said. "A lot of the time, what happens in Mexico feels more dramatic in the United States."

This was different, he said, because it was so unexpected and happened in a community in which violent crime is something that generally happens elsewhere in Mexico.

"What happened Sunday, they were not killing random people, which is the kind of crime that really scares people," he said. "It was a show of power by the cartel."

Davis-Farage said that right around the time when the gunmen flooded the streets and started spreading mayhem, she was entertaining a visiting sorority sister. She said that she lives in a building near the beach filled with expats and that it was her friend who first noticed the "fog on the water."

"We don't have fog like that," she said. "I walked out on my balcony and saw black smoke on the horizon; I could smell the smoke and realized it was fire."

Davis-Farage said she immediately flashed back to Sept. 11, 2001, when she was working in lower Manhattan and Al Qaeda terrorists piloted hijacked jetliners into the World Trade Center twin towers.

"I was at 9/11, I watched the buildings come down," she said. "It all came back. The kind of feeling where you are not in control and you know you could be in danger."

Davis-Farage said she and her friend joined the other expats gathered on the top floor of the building, where they scoured the web for news about what was happening on the streets.

"We felt pretty safe staying on the roof … I felt safer there than in my apartment just because we were amongst other people," she said.

Then her phone pinged and there was a text from a friend who said a bus had exploded nearby.

"They had to evacuate his condo," she said. "That created another level of fright. "

The fright escalated a few hours later.

"We smelled smoke and we realized that our building was on fire," she said. "That was probably the scariest part."

It turned out, Davis-Farage said, a cartel member had tossed an incendiary device of some kind into a restaurant on the ground floor. The only casualties, she said, were some of the instruments that the house band kept there.

Asked if she ever felt her life was in danger, David-Farage did not answer directly.

"The irony of this experience is, we never heard sirens," she said. "We never heard a siren the entire day. My reasoning is if (firefighters) had come out to try and put out the fires, they would have been killed by the cartel."

While there have been numerous accounts of tourists running for their lives from masked gunmen firing shots in the air, Palmatier said she never personally felt in any danger while she sheltered in place in her building. Most of the residents are expats like her from the U.S. and Canada.

"I see what happened as something that happens as a matter of course from time to time in Mexico," she said. "This got a lot more play because it was a big guy they managed to catch."

Palmatier believes that when violence happens in Mexico, "it certainly is not directed at someone like me."

Davis-Farage said, "I just hope people don't stay away from Vallarta because of this."

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A group of South African nationals who were allegedlylured intofighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine arrived at Durban airport on Wednesday.

South Africa Russia Recruits Arrivals

The 11 men arrived at the King Shaka International Airport and were ushered into the police station to be questioned about how they ended up on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

One of the men was taken off the aircraft in a wheelchair, while others carried their luggage in what appeared to be military-style bags.

It brings to 15 the number of South Africans who have now returned to the country, with two others still in Russia.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that one of the men was still in hospital in Russia while another would travel once his travel documentation has been finalized.

Advertisement

Police spokesperson Col. Katlego Mogale said last week that an investigation has been opened in connection with South African laws which prohibit any citizen fromtaking part inforeign conflicts without the authorization of the government.

At least five people are being investigated in connection with the men's recruitment to Russia, including Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma.

She has denied any wrongdoing butresigned as a lawmakerin South Africa's parliament following the claims.

Some of the men are said to be members of the Zuma family who were directly recruited by Zuma-Sambudla.

Five people were arrested in December and now facing charges related to the men's recruitment and are due to appear in court in April.

BOSTON (AP) — Firefighters in Massachusetts were investigating an explosion Wednesday that left a house engulfed in flames and at least two people injured, authorities said.

Massachussetts House Explosion

Emergency workers responded to the fire at the three-family home about 9:50 a.m., fire officials said. Two injured residents, a 25-year-old mother with severe burns and a 2-year-old child with serious injuries, were transported to hospitals, officials said.

"The situation is now under control, but this was a very serious incident," fire Chief Steven Lavigne said. "The weather conditions present unique challenges, but we plan for these situations."

The home was a total loss and eight residents were displaced, fire officials said. Two adjacent homes were also seriously burned, they said. The city opened a warming center for displaced residents Wednesday.

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell told reporters on a street lined with piles of snow and emergency vehicles that she didn't immediately know whether those injured were inside the house when it exploded.

Advertisement

Homes on the street are close together and O'Connell said she thought residents next door had to leave their homes. Nearby residents, including some who live several blocks away, reported hearing a loud noise at the time of explosion.

William James Shivers Jr., who lives nearby, said he responded to the house to help people get out.

"Neighbors helping neighbors, as it should be," Shivers said. "Taunton police and fire are amazing and I'm blessed to be a part of this community."

Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the state Department of Fire Services, said he understood that multiple people were injured. The agency was urging people to avoid the area and to allow emergency personnel access to the scene.

State police fire investigators and the state fire marshal's office were both responding to support Taunton fire authorities to determine the origin and cause of the explosion, Wark said.

Taunton and much of the northeastern U.S. was digging out from amajor snowstormearlier in the week. The storm left more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in Taunton, which is a city of about 60,000 people about 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of Boston.

Five members of Team USA's men's hockey team were not present for Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Feb. 24, despite being invited by the president

NEED TO KNOW

• The remaining 20 members of the gold medal team visited the White House and shook hands with Trump before attending the speech

• Many of the players who missed the event had NHL games scheduled for Feb. 25

After winning their big game at the2026 Winter Olympics, the U.S. men's hockey team traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with PresidentDonald Trump.

However, five of the newly minted gold medalists were notably absent fromthe White House visit, which preceded the president's annual State of the Union address.

Trump, 79,incited controversywhen he invited the men's hockey team to the State of the Union on a phone call as they celebratedtheir victory over Canadaon Sunday, Feb. 22.

While he seemed thrilled to host the men's team, he laughingly implied that he'd "have to" invite the women's hockey team after they alsowon a gold medalin their own respective victory on Thursday, Feb. 19.

At Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 24, he claimed that the U.S. women's hockey team — who declined to attend the event —would soon be visiting the White Houseto celebrate their own Olympic victory.

A rep for the women's team told PEOPLE in response to Trump's remarks, "Players are back competing with their professional and collegiate teams and are in the midst of their season. They're honored and grateful to be invited and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be based on their schedules once their seasons conclude."

While the women's team didn't travel to D.C. on Tuesday, 20 members of the men's team did, where they stopped by the White House before heading over to the U.S. Capitol to watch Trump speak inside the House Chamber.

During his speech, the president said that he planned toaward U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyckthe Presidential Medal of Freedom.

All but five of Hellebuyck's teammates were there for the announcement; Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe, Jake Oettinger, Jake Guentzel and Kyle Connor were notably absent. Reps for USA Hockey did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the players' absences.

According toUSA Today,the NHL paused its season for three weeks so that members of the league could represent various countries in the Games. The season resumed play on Wednesday, Feb. 25, one day after the State of the Union and just three days after the men's hockey team concluded their play at the Olympics.

Many of the players arescheduled to play gamesfor their respective NHL teams on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 26.

Jackson LaCombe's team, the Anaheim Ducks, faces off against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. A reporter forThe Sporting Tribunenoted that both LaCombe and his teammate Mikael Granlund, who skated for Finland at the Games, were headed back to Anaheim, Calif. on Tuesday and were expected to land later in the day.

Jake Guentzel of the Tampa Bay Lightning is also due back on the ice on Wednesday.Tampa Bay Timesreporter Eduardo Encina noted that he was "back in Tampa" on Tuesday, though he wasn't on the ice for the team's practice that day.

Advertisement

The Colorado Avalanches face off against the Utah Mammoths on Wednesday.Denver Postreporter Corey Masisak noted, "All four guys who played in the gold medal game are back in Denver this morning."

That included Team USA member Nelson, who "skipped the White House/DC trip to come back here with his family," Masisak said.

His fellow teammates Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews played for Canada at the Games.

Speaking toThe Athleticon Tuesday, Connor noted that he was back for practice with the Winnipeg Jets ahead of their Wednesday game against the Vancouver Canucks.

"I'm just getting ready," he said. "We play on Wednesday. It's a big second half so I just wanted to make sure I was ready."

The hockey player explained that he "[didn't] really have any thoughts" on the manner in which Trump extended his invite to the women's hockey team.

"There's so many things happening," he said, referencing Trump's phone call. "We just won the gold medal and things are going on so I don't really remember what he said. It's such a whirlwind, just celebrating."

Jonah Javad, a reporter with local Dallas outletWFAA, also noted that Oettinger was back in Dallas ahead of the Dallas Stars game against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Other members of the hockey team, including Hellebuyck, who is also a member of the Jets, and star players Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, are expected back on the ice on Wednesday with their NHL teams.

Hughes addressed the "backlash" his team received after accepting the president's invitation in an interview with theDaily Mailafter their Olympic win.

"Everything is so political. We're athletes. We're so proud to represent the U.S., and we get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president. You know, we're proud to be Americans," he said. "No matter what your views are, we're super excited to go."

Read the original article onPeople