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Southwest Airlines has spent the last year-plus implementing a slew of changes to various aspects of its operations. Starting today, another one is being put in place for some flights.

According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, Southwest is asking flight attendants on “all domestic flights operated by Boeing 737-800 NG and 737 MAX-8 series aircraft” to report for boarding 35 minutes before departure, as opposed to the typical 30 minutes.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo’s Mateusz Maszczynski says the company operates around 500 Boeing 737-800 NG and 737 MAX-8, which accounts for roughly 65% of its fleet.

This new policy is related to two other prominent Southwest changes

On May 28, 2025, Southwest ended its customary “Bags Fly Free” policy. Customers would now be charged $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for a second one.

“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said at the time.

In late January 2026, the air carrier made an even bigger move, getting rid of its popular open seating policy. The changes caused some grumbling, though they seemingly haven’t affected Southwest’s bottom line or reputation with customers.

What they have impacted, Maszczynski writes, is the overall boarding experience. The combination of passengers bringing more luggage on the plane for free and now having assigned seating was causing delays.

“Passengers were boarding the plane only to discover that all the overhead bins near their assigned seat was already full, resulting in delays as passengers hunted for space, moving up and down the packed aisle,” Maszczynski said.

Earlier boarding may alleviate this problem

At least, that’s the hope of Southwest, which is building in an extra five minutes of boarding time on the “majority” of domestic flights.

“Flights within the United States operated by smaller Boeing 737-700 aircraft will, however, continue to board at 30 minutes, while all international services, as well as Hawaii flights will board at 45 minutes prior to departure,” Maszczynski said.

Attention over the last week has largely centered around former NFL quarterback and current CBS Sports color commentator Tony Romo.

Romo was arrested on July 23 on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated following a golf tournament. He failed a field sobriety test, and the incident went viral on social media after authorities released body camera footage.

Since then, CBS has had to make a decision regarding Romo’s future with the network. For now, the company has placed him on leave, leaving all possibilities on the table.

CBS will have J.J. Watt replace Romo for the foreseeable future alongside Jim Nantz as the 2026 NFL season approaches in just over a month.

For the time being, analyst JJ Watt will replace Tony Romo, and work alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. https://t.co/mop52FUDHM

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 31, 2026

Romo, CBS Could Be Heading Toward Financial Legal Battle

Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported Friday that Romo still has four years and $72 million remaining on his CBS contract after signing a 10-year, $180 million deal with the network in 2020.

That creates a complicated situation surrounding the contract’s stipulations and could lead to a legal battle between the two sides if CBS decides to part ways with Romo entirely.

CBS could look for a way to avoid paying the remaining money, or at least a significant portion of it. Marchand reported that Romo’s contract includes a morals clause, but if CBS attempts to fire him “for cause” while $72 million remains on the deal, Romo likely won’t simply accept that decision.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explained the challenges Romo’s lawyers could face if CBS attempts to avoid paying him any of the remaining money on his contract.

“The challenge for Romo’s lawyers would be to find other situations in which CBS broadcasters engaged in potentially similar conduct without being fired for cause, in an effort to show that the morals clause was being invoked as a pretext for escaping a contract that CBS now regrets,” Florio wrote Saturday. “If, as many believe, Romo simply isn’t as good at his job as he used to be, that’s not enough for CBS to fire him for cause. They’d need something more, and the morals clause may give it to them.”

Florio also revealed that he believes the most likely outcome would be a contract settlement.

“The most prudent outcome would be a settlement of his contract,” he added. “That would come down to negotiating the amount that CBS would pay Romo to leave, and every dollar saved under $72 million would be a bonus.”

With all that said, a lengthy process remains ahead as both sides determine how the relationship will move forward and whether Romo will return to the booth.

Related: NFL and Disney Launch Ultimate Collaboration

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In This Story

Why We Love This Deal

Adidas’s Back to School sale is live through August 13, and it’s giving shoppers a chance to score up to 40% off sitewide ahead of the new school year (or just because). Everyday sneakers tend to be the strongest pickups during these sales, especially if you’re someone heading back to campus this fall. For our money, the Adidas Grand Court sneaker in white is the best one featured in the sale. 

Normally priced at $75, the Adidas Grand Court 2.0 Shoes in Cloud White/Core Black/Focus Orange are on sale for $56. The style comes in five colorways, all of which are on sale, ranging from 20% off to 45% off, but this particular one blends the always-good-looking white back with black and brown accents, which has a quintessential fall vibe to it. Find them in sizes 6.5 to 14 before they, like the other colors, sell out.

Adidas Grand Court 2.0 Shoes, $56 (was $75) at Adidas

What Shoppers Should Know

• Upper: Synthetic leather with textile leaning (minimum 50% recycled content)
• Midsole: Cloudfoam Comfort 
• Outsole: Rubber
• Best For: Everyday wear, school, casual wear

The updated synthetic upper keeps the classic three-stripe look intact while working in recycled material, so the sustainability angle doesn’t come at the cost of the retro look. 

Cloudfoam Comfort cushioning in the midsole is great for daily use and even long walks, but don’t expect to tackle any serious runs in them. The regular fit and rubber outsole keep it more functional as an everyday shoe rather than a training shoe. 

At $56, these are priced closer to a solid mid-level sneaker than a premium retro release. That makes them a pretty easy grab for anyone in the market for clean, classic everyday shoes, especially at this low price. 

Related: New Balance’s ‘Super Comfortable’ 515 Sneakers Are on Sale for Only $36

What Shoppers Are Saying

This silhouette has an impressive 4.8-star rating across 3,500-plus reviews. One called them, “One of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have.” A second said, “These have become my go-to daily shoes. They’re comfortable, casual, but easy to clean and wear with just about everything.”

Given the affordable price, reviewers were also surprised by how much support these actually have: “I wore them to work and worked a 10-hour shift standing in them, and my feet didn’t hurt at the end of the day.”

The Adidas Grand Court 2.0 Shoes are available now for $56, and since sizes are already starting to run out, you should consider grabbing a pair soon if you’re interested. 

Also Check Out

• Adidas Superstar II Sneakers, From $72 (was $110) at Adidas
• Adidas Forum CL Sneakers, From $60 (was $100) at Adidas 
• Adidas Jabbar Lo Trainers, From $66 (was $110) at Adidas

Fifty-six years ago, who many consider to be the best country singer released one of his many No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

July 31 marks the anniversary of many popular songs throughout the years. This includes Bob Dylan’s Sara in 1975, Martha and the Vandellas’ Dancing in the Street in 1964 and Kendrick Lamar’s Swimming Pools in 2012. Even John Mellencamp’s classic eighth studio album Scarecrow was released on this day in 1985.

And on July 31, 1970, Johnny Cash released his hit single Sunday Morning Coming Down from the album The Johnny Cash Show.

The song eventually hit No. 1 on the Billboard US Country chart on Oct. 10, 1970, where it would stay for two weeks. It remained on the charts altogether for a total of 15 weeks.

Not only that, but Cash’s Sunday Morning Coming Down would go on to win the 1970 Country Music Award for Song of the Year.

Johnny Cash Ranked as the Best Country Musician of All Time

While Cash had 21 singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts, he never reached the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100. Even with classic hits such as Walk the Line, Ring of Fire and Understand Your Man.

Still, Cash became enough of an icon in the music business that he is widely considered the best country singer of all time. He was even voted by fans as No. 1 on The Top Tens.

Behind Cash are other country legends such as George Strait, George Jones, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams, who round out the top five.

Related: 1939 Classic Named the ‘Best Movie Song of All Time’

Throughout television history, a small number of sitcoms have been nearly universally recognized as the greatest comedy series. Those shows include titles like Friends, Seinfeld, Cheers, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Simpsons, I Love Lucy, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and All in the Family. Recently, one beloved series that premiered more than 19 years ago, 30 Rock, was ranked above them all and named the greatest sitcom of all time.

Who Ranked ’30 Rock’ as the ‘Best Sitcom Ever Made’?

On April 26, 2026, TVLine published its ranking of the “25 Best Sitcoms Ever Made.” After the list named the most iconic comedy shows of all time, one series topped the list to be ranked at No. 1: 30 Rock. That was a huge compliment to the series that had premiered more than 19 years earlier, on October 11, 2006.

That is far from the only time 30 Rock has been included on a list like that. It was previously ranked at No. 18 on Rolling Stone’s May 2021 list of the “Best Sitcoms of All Time.” It was also included at No. 75 on Time Out’s broader January 2026 “100 best TV shows of all time you have to watch” ranking.

Long before 30 Rock was included in those lists, it was already earning praise and accolades. For example, the series was nominated for a staggering 103 Emmy Awards, 16 of which it won, including prevailing in the Outstanding Comedy Series category. Most importantly, it has been embraced by generations of viewers. The show even currently holds a near-perfect 91% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes based on user ratings.

What Makes ‘30 Rock’ Such a Legendary Sitcom?

There are many reasons why 30 Rock deserves to be ranked as one of the greatest sitcoms ever produced. The most obvious is how brilliantly written it is, with each episode packing a staggering amount of truly hilarious jokes. Just as important as that is the fact that virtually all of the show’s humor hits hard.

Another one of the best elements of 30 Rock is how the show manages to be incredibly goofy and whip-smart at the same time. A show that is absolutely absurd in one moment and a sharp satire of the corporate world of network television in the next, it works on every level.

30 Rock will also always be remembered for having an incredibly stacked cast of comedy heavyweights, including Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, and Alec Baldwin. Those actors have made characters like Liz Lemon, Tracy Jordan, Jenna Maroney, Kenneth Ellen Parcell, and Jack Donaghy truly beloved. Additionally, the show features a non-stop cavalcade of talented guest stars who step in to elicit laughs.

The final key element that has helped build 30 Rock‘s incredible legacy is that it is a wonderful comfort watch. One of the best parts of the show is that it features a slew of characters who are both wildly successful and a complete mess. That allows viewers to have the joy of watching them reach new heights and the delight of basking in their many foibles at the same time. That is an incredibly comforting combination.

Next: NBC Series Ranked the ‘Best American Sitcom of All Time’ Is Releasing an Extended ‘Superfan’ Edition

Few criminal cases have forced Americans to confront the boundaries of parental responsibility as intensely as that of Colin Gray. On Thursday, a Georgia judge sentenced the 55-year-old father to 15 years in prison after concluding that his criminal negligence helped pave the way for one of the deadliest school shootings in recent memory.

The punishment closes one chapter of the Apalachee High School tragedy while opening another debate that may continue for years. Is 15 years behind bars an appropriate punishment for a father whose actions did not involve pulling the trigger, but whose failures were found to have contributed to four murders?

Judge Nicholas Primm acknowledged that the case occupied unfamiliar legal territory.

“Mr. Gray committed crimes, but his crimes are tethered to the crimes committed by his son,” the judge said before explaining why the sentence could never be viewed like that of a conventional murder defendant. He stressed that Colin Gray did not know his son planned the attack, did not participate in it, and never intended for anyone to die. Those distinctions, he said, mattered.

Yet they did not erase the devastating consequences of his decisions.

Gray, dressed in a striped prison uniform, stood breathing heavily as the sentence was read before deputies escorted him from the courtroom in shackles. He declined to address the court, while his attorney announced plans to appeal what remains one of the most significant parental accountability convictions in American legal history.

The Decisions That Led to a School Massacre

To understand why the sentence has become so controversial, it is necessary to examine the long chain of warnings presented during trial.

On September 4, 2024, Colin Gray’s then 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, entered Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, carrying an AR-15-style rifle hidden inside his backpack. He opened fire inside a math classroom before shooting victims in the hallway.

Teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, were killed. Seven other people were wounded.

Investigators did not accuse Colin Gray of planning the attack or encouraging his son to commit violence. Instead, prosecutors argued that his repeated failures amounted to criminal negligence.

Evidence presented during the trial painted a troubling picture. Colin Gray had purchased the AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift for his son months after law enforcement had visited their home following an FBI tip about an online school shooting threat linked to Colt. Although investigators could not prove Colt authored the threat, prosecutors argued that the encounter should have prompted extraordinary caution rather than the purchase of another firearm.

Jurors also saw photographs showing numerous unsecured firearms and ammunition inside the family home. Colin Gray admitted that the weapons were neither locked nor secured and acknowledged that Colt sometimes kept the rifle inside his bedroom.

The trial also revealed repeated signs that Colt’s mental health was deteriorating. His estranged mother testified that their son suffered panic attacks, anxiety, and severe emotional struggles that demanded professional treatment. Family members described escalating behavioral problems, while evidence showed Colt had displayed an image of a notorious school shooter inside his bedroom.

Perhaps most disturbing was Colin Gray’s own acknowledgment that his son had become physically violent and had previously sent a chilling text message stating, “Whenever something happens, just know the blood is on your hands.”

Even with those warning signs, Colt maintained access to firearms.

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Colin Gray on all 27 charges, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct, and cruelty to children.

Is Fifteen Years Is Too Lenient?

For grieving families, Thursday’s sentence felt painfully inadequate. Barrow County prosecutors had requested an 80-year prison sentence, arguing that Colin Gray’s choices created the conditions that allowed the massacre to occur.

District Attorney Brad Smith told the court that Gray was “the reason four people are dead, seven were injured and countless others were traumatized.” Victims’ relatives echoed that argument with heartbreaking testimony.

Richard Aspinwall’s widow, Shayna Aspinwall, called Colin Gray “a pathetic excuse for a father.” She described leaving her teaching career because of post-traumatic stress disorder while her young daughter now requires therapy.

“Colin could not take his son to therapy; therefore, I have to take mine,” she said.

Breanna Schermerhorn, whose son Mason died in the attack, drew a distinction that resonated throughout the courtroom.

“There is a world of a difference between struggling to parent, and refusing to parent.”

Christian Angulo’s brother delivered perhaps the most powerful criticism, calling Colin Gray “a complete failure of a father.”

“He made a choice to buy that rifle, he made a choice to ignore every red flag, and because of his choices, my little brother Christian and three others are gone.”

Taylor Jones’ grandfather spoke even more directly, pointing toward the defendant while declaring that although Colin Gray did not fire the weapon, “he bought the bullets.”

Their arguments are rooted less in legal technicalities than in moral accountability. To the victims’ families, the shooting did not result from one isolated mistake. It reflected years of neglected warning signs, unsecured firearms, and decisions that repeatedly placed a troubled teenager in possession of deadly weapons.

From that perspective, fifteen years may appear far too small a punishment for failures that permanently altered dozens of lives.

The Legal Limits of Punishing Parental Failure

Yet criminal courts are designed to punish proven crimes rather than moral outrage. Judge Primm’s sentence reflects that distinction.

Although Colin Gray’s negligence was found to be a legal cause of the shooting, prosecutors never argued that he intended for anyone to die. Unlike his son, who pleaded guilty to 55 felony charges and received life without parole earlier this week, Colin Gray was convicted because his conduct fell so far below reasonable parental responsibility that it became criminal.

That difference carries enormous weight in American law.

The sentence also closely resembles another landmark parental accountability case. James and Jennifer Crumbley, whose son killed four students at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021, each received prison terms of between 10 and 15 years after convictions for involuntary manslaughter.

Seen through that legal lens, Colin Gray’s punishment falls within the emerging range courts have imposed on parents whose negligence contributes to mass shootings. Whether fifteen years is “proper” therefore depends largely on the question being asked.

If the question is moral, many people will never believe justice was fully served. Four people are dead, families remain shattered, and evidence showed repeated opportunities to prevent the tragedy. No prison sentence can restore those lives.

If the question is legal, however, the answer becomes more complicated. Colin Gray was not sentenced as a killer. He was sentenced as a father whose reckless decisions crossed the threshold into criminal conduct. Punishing negligence exactly like intentional murder would challenge long-established principles of criminal law.

His conviction nevertheless establishes a powerful precedent. Parents who knowingly ignore unmistakable warning signs, provide dangerous weapons to troubled children, or fail to secure firearms may now face consequences extending far beyond civil liability.

The debate surrounding Colin Gray’s punishment is therefore unlikely to end with Thursday’s sentencing. Instead, it will continue to shape future prosecutions, influence parental responsibility cases across the country, and force courts to balance compassion, accountability, and justice whenever a child’s violence is linked to an adult’s failure.

A tiny crested gecko with two heads is capturing attention far beyond Pennsylvania after surviving against the odds and showing signs of healthy development just weeks after hatching.

The remarkable reptile, affectionately named Simon and Garfunkel, emerged from its egg on June 29 at Rockstar Geckos, a reptile breeding business in northeastern Pennsylvania. The hatchling was an unexpected arrival, with the breeder revealing that it was only the second case of a two-headed gecko they had seen in years of breeding.

While animals born with two heads often struggle to survive because of severe developmental complications, Simon and Garfunkel have continued to grow, offering a rare glimpse into one of nature’s most unusual conditions.

A Rare Condition With Long Odds

The gecko’s condition is known as polycephaly, a rare developmental anomaly in which a single animal develops two heads. Scientists believe it can result from genetic or environmental factors that affect the embryo during development.

In polycephalic animals, each head typically has its own brain while sharing one body. This unusual anatomy often creates challenges because the two brains may attempt to control the same limbs and organs. Many such animals also suffer from malformed internal organs, making long-term survival uncommon.

Rockstar Geckos initially cautioned that most two-headed reptiles do not live very long. Even so, the breeder pledged to provide the hatchling with the best possible care.

Four weeks later, Simon and Garfunkel have exceeded expectations. According to the breeder’s latest update, the gecko weighs just 1.8 grams, roughly the weight of a small paperclip, yet both heads are eating independently without assistance.

The breeder also noted that neither head appears to dominate the other. Instead, the pair have become increasingly coordinated as they move, despite occasionally appearing to prefer different directions.

Winning Hearts Around the World

Another encouraging sign is that the heads are positioned in a way that prevents them from biting each other, avoiding one of the complications sometimes seen in two-headed reptiles.

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Native to New Caledonia, crested geckos normally grow to between 8 and 10 inches in length and can weigh up to 45 grams as adults. Whether Simon and Garfunkel will reach adulthood remains uncertain, but each passing week marks an important milestone.

Their story has sparked an outpouring of support online, with reptile enthusiasts cheering every update. Many followers have described themselves as “obsessed” with the tiny twins, while others have expressed hope that the gecko continues to thrive.

Although polycephaly has been documented in turtles, snakes, fish, pigs, goats, and other animals, successful survival beyond the first weeks of life remains exceptionally rare, making Simon and Garfunkel’s progress all the more remarkable.

Some roles stay with actors long after the cameras stop rolling. For Denzel Washington, Malcolm X was one of them. While promoting Spike Lee’s 1992 epic, Washington described the civil rights leader as “a wake-up call,” offering a glimpse into how deeply the role affected him. More than three decades later, that perspective helps explain why “Malcolm X” is still considered one of the defining performances of his career.

What Did Denzel Washington Say About Playing Malcolm X?

Washington did not treat Malcolm as a historical figure to imitate, he treated him as someone still asking the audience an uncomfortable question.

He had already played Malcolm once, in a 1981 off-Broadway production, and returned to the role a decade later. Washington described the call-and-response preaching as something close to a drug once a crowd locks in with you. That kind of commitment is what separates a good performance from the one that redefines a career.

How Did Spike Lee Get the Film Made?

A bond company shut the film down in post-production and told Lee to cut it to two hours and fifteen minutes, so he picked up the phone and called Black Hollywood instead.

Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Janet Jackson, and Prince were among those who wrote checks. Lee told the New York Times the money was neither a loan nor an investment but a rescue, and he has since said half his own salary went in and left him broke. The finished cut ran 202 minutes.

Why Does It Still Matter?

Washington pointed out in 1992 that a speech Malcolm gave in 1962 still played over footage of someone being beaten, and that has not aged into irrelevance.

The Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry in 2010, nearly two decades after Washington lost the Best Actor Oscar to Al Pacino. Warner Bros. executives watched their first cut during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, timing no marketing team could have arranged. Black storytelling keeps building on the ground Lee cleared, right down to today’s prestige prequels.

Where Can You Watch Malcolm X?

Clear three and a half hours before you start this one, because Spike Lee fought too hard for that runtime to watch it in pieces.

The film streams on Philo and free with ads on YouTube, and rents on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango At Home. Availability shifts often, so renting is safer if you have the night blocked out. Criterion’s 4K restoration adds Lee’s commentary and the 1972 documentary.

Related: Denzel Washington’s ‘Hannibal’ Netflix Movie Gets Bad News

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