Veteran Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69

T.K. Carter, the veteran actor best known for his roles in the cult horror film The Thing and the TV sitcom Punky Brewster, has died at the age of 69.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Carter was found unresponsive on Friday evening in Duarte, California. He was pronounced dead at the scene after deputies responded to the call. Authorities said the death is not being treated as suspicious, though no cause has been made public.

Carter had built a long acting career before gaining wider recognition as Nauls, the cook, in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The Thing. He later became familiar to television audiences through a recurring role on the popular 1980s series Punky Brewster.

His film credits also include appearances in Runaway Train (1985), Ski Patrol (1990), and Space Jam (1996), among others.

Bob Weir: The Grateful Dead’s Creative Backbone and Guardian of Their Legacy

Bob Weir, co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died aged 78, leaving behind one of the most enduring legacies in rock music. Often referred to within the band as “the Kid,” Weir joined what would become the Grateful Dead at just 16 years old, yet went on to shape their sound, songwriting, and future more than almost anyone else.

While Jerry Garcia was widely seen as the band’s spiritual centre, Weir was its rhythmic engine. His jazz-influenced rhythm guitar style — built on complex chords and unconventional progressions — became essential to the Dead’s improvisational identity. Less flashy than Garcia’s solos but just as distinctive, Weir’s playing gave the band its elastic, exploratory feel.

Beyond his musicianship, Weir emerged as a major songwriter. From early psychedelic tracks like The Other One to Americana-infused classics such as Sugar Magnolia, Jack Straw, and Playing in the Band, his work helped define the Grateful Dead’s evolution through the late 60s and 70s. Collaborating first with lyricist Robert Hunter and later with John Perry Barlow, Weir proved equally adept at writing intimate ballads, sprawling epics, and driving rock anthems.

Despite being the band’s most traditionally handsome member, Weir stood apart from rock-star excess. He stepped away from LSD early, questioned the cult-like worship surrounding the band — particularly toward Garcia — and showed a rare interest in commercial success, experimenting with more mainstream sounds in solo projects and side bands during the late 70s and 80s.

Garcia’s death in 1995 hit Weir especially hard. The years that followed were marked by internal band disputes, relentless touring, health struggles, and moments of visible decline. But Weir ultimately rebuilt himself — physically and creatively — and took on a new role: the chief steward of the Grateful Dead’s legacy.

From the band’s 50th anniversary shows in 2015 to the formation of Dead & Company alongside John Mayer, Weir helped introduce the Dead’s music to new generations. The project became a global touring phenomenon, generating hundreds of millions of dollars and culminating in a hugely successful Las Vegas Sphere residency. At the same time, Weir continued to reimagine the catalog through his Wolf Bros project, blending Dead material with orchestral and stripped-back arrangements.

Weir’s final performances came during the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary celebrations in San Francisco, closing each night with songs that reflected both farewell and continuity. Even near the end, he spoke of the band not as something finished, but eternal — a living body of music that could outlast its creators.

Bob Weir didn’t just help build the Grateful Dead. He ensured their music, spirit, and influence would endure long after the final note.

Lorraine Kelly Pays Tribute Following Sudden Death of Her Father

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has paid an emotional tribute to her father, John Kelly, following his death at the age of 84, describing the loss as a “shock.”

Mr Kelly was reportedly found injured on an outdoor path in his hometown of East Kilbride, near St Leonard’s Square shopping centre, on Saturday morning. Police Scotland confirmed the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious, and that officers are supporting the family.

In a message shared on social media, Kelly, 66, said her father had been in poor health but that his passing still came unexpectedly.

“Very sad news. My dad has died,” she wrote. “I’m mourning the man who bought me a telescope when I was five, who watched the moon landings with me, and who taught me to always be curious and interested in everything.”

She added: “He was in poor health, but it has still been a shock. We will miss you, dad.”

Kelly said she and her brother, Graham, are caring for their mother and asked for privacy as the family grieves.

Tributes and messages of condolence poured in from fans and well-known figures, including Davina McCall, Denise Welch, and sports presenter Gabby Logan, whose father, former footballer Terry Yorath, also passed away this week.

Lorraine Kelly has worked as a journalist and television presenter for more than 37 years and has hosted ITV’s Lorraine since 2010.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said officers were called at around 7:00am on Saturday following reports of a man found injured on a path. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterward. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Welbeck Leads Brighton as Manchester United Crash Out of FA Cup

Old Trafford — Manchester United’s hopes of silverware this season were extinguished before mid-January as Brighton produced a clinical display to knock them out of the FA Cup. Goals from Brajan Gruda and former United striker Danny Welbeck sealed a 2–1 third-round victory, exposing familiar defensive frailties and deepening the club’s ongoing crisis.

The defeat means United have now exited both the FA Cup and League Cup at the earliest possible stage for the first time since the 1981–82 season. With European qualification now their only remaining objective, United’s 2025–26 campaign continues to unravel.

Brighton struck decisively in the first half. A swift move down the left saw Ferdi Kadioglu combine with Welbeck, whose cross led to Georginio Rutter’s header being cleared off the line by Lisandro Martínez. Gruda reacted quickest, firing home to give the visitors a deserved lead. The camera soon cut to Sir Alex Ferguson, seated alongside Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, all visibly unimpressed.

United struggled to respond. Diogo Dalot fired straight at goalkeeper Jason Steele after being released by a neat pass, while Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha failed to trouble Brighton with speculative efforts before the break.

Any hopes of a revival faded further after half-time. Brighton continued to control the rhythm, and United’s lack of cohesion in attack allowed the visitors to keep them pinned back. Defensive errors again proved costly when Welbeck was given time and space on the edge of the area, calmly drilling a low shot past Senne Lammens to double Brighton’s lead.

Benjamin Šeško briefly reignited belief with a late header — his third goal in two matches — but United could not find an equaliser despite a noisy Old Trafford urging them on. Matters worsened in stoppage time when 18-year-old substitute Shea Lacey was sent off for dissent after receiving a second yellow card, leaving the teenager in tears as he left the pitch.

Interim manager Darren Fletcher was also booked after the final whistle for protesting the decision, capping a bleak afternoon. Fletcher, who took charge following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week, is expected to be replaced within days, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick among those interviewed.

United now sit seventh in the Premier League, three points adrift of the Champions League places, with only a top-four finish left to salvage their season. Brighton, meanwhile, march on — led by Welbeck, whose return to Old Trafford only underlined how far his former club have fallen.