Nashville has long been home to some of the most recognizable names in R&B and country music, but over the last few years, celebrities from a variety of industries have flocked to the Music City.
As the city has continued to grow, it has earned a reputation for its distinct brand of laid-back luxury, offering residents a bustling culture, mild weather, and a reasonably-priced cost of living.
It's no surprise that more than a few famous transplants have decided to relocate to this hospitable location.
From podcasters who can record from a home studio to stars of the silver screen who seek a quieter pace of life for their families, there are plenty of valid reasons why celebrities are ditching the more popular choices of Los Angeles and New York City to start fresh in Tennessee.
See which notable people have recently traded in their former residences for Nashvilian status.

#music #celebrities

Kimberly J. Brown says her Halloweentown costar Debbie Reynolds taught her an important lesson about working in Hollywood while speaking exclusively to PEOPLE
She also recalled Reynolds as funny, energetic and down-to-earth, often lifting the mood on set with jokes, dancing and stories about her iconic career
Brown additionally reflected on meeting her husband, Daniel Kountz, on the set of Halloweentown II
Kimberly J. Brown is sharing the best lesson she learned from her Halloweentown costar, Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds.
Brown, 41, caught up with PEOPLE exclusively during the 2026 Step Up Annual Inspiration Awards at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

#halloweentown

Preston and Brianna ****** ment, who are also known as PrestonPlayz and BriannaPlayz, are expecting their first baby together
The creators have been married for more than eight years and will welcome their first child in March
The couple has not learned the baby's ****** yet but hopes to share a future video
Preston and Brianna ****** ment are going to be parents!
The couple, who are also known as gamers PrestonPlayz and BriannaPlayz on YouTube, are expecting their first baby together, a rep confirms to PEOPLE. After being married for eight years, Preston and Brianna will welcome their first baby this coming March — and the two tell PEOPLE they can't wait to become parents.

#preston #baby #prestonplayz #known

Christy Carlson Romano is ready for the next chapter of her life, but at one point, her story was nearly cut short.
The Emmy-nominated actress and former Disney Channel star, who pulls back the curtain in her debut memoir "Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star," was dealt a harrowing scare last year after she was accidentally shot in the face.
In February 2025, Romano was shooting clay pigeons in Texas with her husband, Brendan Rooney, for his birthday when someone from the couple's party "unsafely fired in the wrong direction," hitting her in the face, she shared on social media at the time.
The "Even Stevens" alum, then 40, was rushed to the hospital, where she learned that she'd been shot in five places, including a fragment of bird shot getting lodged behind her right eye.
"It's taught me that life goes by in a flash, and not just the flash of a shotgun, but the flash of time," Romano tells USA TODAY ahead of the book's Oct. 6 release. "One of the things that unpacking my life did for me was really showcase just how fast it's gone and how fast it will continue to go."

#life #star #carlson

Sandra Bullock's journey to becoming one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars began far from the blockbuster action movies that eventually made her famous. Growing up with an opera singer mother, she was introduced to performance at an early age and studied music, ballet and other forms of movement. Acting eventually became her focus, but major success did not arrive immediately. Bullock spent years building experience before finding the role that transformed her career. That gradual rise helped shape a performer known for moving comfortably between action, comedy, romance and drama.
Bullock began appearing professionally during the late 1980s, taking smaller roles as she worked toward greater opportunities. Her breakthrough finally arrived with Speed in 1994. Starring alongside Keanu Reeves, she played Annie Porter, a passenger forced to take control of a Los Angeles bus rigged to explode if its speed dropped below a dangerous threshold. The movie combined large scale action with humor and chemistry between its leads, turning Bullock into an international star.
The production also demanded considerable physical commitment. Bullock later described the genuine fear she experienced while filming scenes aboard the speeding bus. Although she was not actually controlling the vehicle during the most dangerous sequences, being positioned at the front made the action feel very real. That sense of physical vulnerability contributed to the urgency of her performance. She returned to the franchise for Speed 2: Cruise Control in 1997, this time facing danger aboard a runaway cruise ship.
Bullock was already looking beyond acting alone. In the 1990s, she established Fortis Films, giving her greater involvement in developing and producing projects. That experience became especially important with Miss Congeniality, the 2000 action comedy in which she played FBI agent Gracie Hart. Bullock also served as a producer, helping shape a movie that combined physical comedy, crime and an unconventional transformation story.
Her career continued to expand across genres. Films such as While You Were Sleeping, The Proposal and Gravity demonstrated her ability to move between romantic comedy and intense drama. One of her most significant dramatic successes came with The Blind Side in 2009. Her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy earned Bullock the Academy Award for Best Actress, adding another dimension to a career already **** ociated with major commercial films.

#speed #films

This summer, we took a family vacation to Oregon to hike in the Pacific Northwest. Not surprisingly, we saw a bunch of people decked out in clothing made by Columbia, the huge sportswear company founded in Portland in 1938, and named for the nearby river.
We also saw a lot of people wearing Patagonia clothes. Named after the vast geographic region at the southern tip of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile, Patagonia was founded by climber Yvon Chouinard in 1973 to provide durable climbing equipment and outdoor wear. The company heavily supports environmental causes and donates profits from the sale of their jackets, fleeces and other gear to ecological protection. The company even sued President Trump in 2017, for shrinking federal lands protections.
In addition to environmental causes, Patagonia has also championed the LGBTQ community by partnering with the Human Rights Campaign to oppose state legislation targeting their rights. This summer, though, the company sued one member of that community.
Wyn Wiley is an activist from Bend, Oregon, who focuses on environmental and LGBTQ+ issues, promoting acceptance of queer identities in the environmentalist and outdoors communities, and promoting awareness of climate change and its effects.
In October of 2018, Wiley created the character Pattie Gonia and produced short-form outdoors activism content on Instagram and TikTok, while dressing in drag. The first posted video garnered more than 100 million views. Pattie Gonia has 1.8 million Instagram followers and claims to have raised $3.7 million for environmental causes, including $1 million raised last year on a 100-mile hike. In 2022, Pattie Gonia partnered with The North Face, another outdoor gear juggernaut, for their 2022 "Summer of Pride" series, which consisted of outdoor community-building events focused on local LGBTQ+ engagement and acceptance.

#lgbtq #summer

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez finalized their divorce in January 2025. The director recently joked about his three children giving him a hard time about his dating history. Affleck, 54, was asked whether he's dipped back into the dating pool.
"There's not a lot of room. I'm not running around," Affleck, 54, told Entertainment Tonight. "It's just not a big priority in my life." The Animals star is busy promoting his new political thriller. He is still good friends with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and wanted her to star in the movie when Matt Damon was cast as Mark Kimball. Damon dropped out and Affleck replaced him. The father talked more about his state of mind.
"I know what my priorities are. You can't have two things that are the most important in your life," he said. "For me, that's the kids. So that's what that is. And then I have my work, which I love."
M. Angeles Salvador/MEGA
Garner and Affleck have three children named Violet, 20, Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14. The Oscar winner told Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he realized he's not the cool dad to them.

#jennifer #damon

Ben Affleck addressed rumors about his romantic relationships in rare comments about his dating life on October 2.
During a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, Affleck said his kids are his priority. He shares three kids with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner.
Affleck added that, while he's "not chasing" a romantic relationship, he's "open" to any adventures life may bring.
Ben Affleck is sharing some rare insight into his love life.
While promoting his upcoming film Animals on October 2, Affleck took a moment to address rumors about his dating life. Speaking to a reporter from Entertainment Tonight, the actor specifically took a moment to put to rest reports about an alleged date with Shakira. "Ana Navarro allegedly tried to set you up with Shakira. Do you get people trying to set you up all the time?" the reporter asked.

#october #dating

Howie Mandel's daughter is sharing a fiery scene on TikTok, complete with a warning her dad should have taken seriously.
Jackelyn Shultz posted a TikTok video of the "America's Got Talent" judge standing near a vehicle engulfed in flames, capturing a moment that quickly drew reactions across social media.
Mandel, 70, wore blue overalls and held a canned beverage while appearing to record the fire on his phone near a Food4Less store.
"Dad, it could explode if there's gas in it," Shultz, 41, warned her dad.
Seconds later, as Mandel turned toward his daughter, a burst of flames erupted behind him.

#shultz

Trump also again urged supporters to imagine that he himself was on the ballot.
President Donald Trump warned Republicans that Texas and Michigan are among the states the party is “worried about” ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, while speaking to voters in Oklahoma on Thursday.
Fresh off an event in Texas, Trump told a crowd in the reliably Republican state that he was not concerned about Oklahoma but that Republicans needed to turn out voters in other states.
"I feel a little foolish, you know. I’m saying, 'go out and vote, go out and vote.' You’re gonna, they’re gonna win in the last half, but still go out and vote," Trump said. "But we’re not worried about them. We’re worried about Michigan. We’re worried about Texas. We’re worried about a few states."
Trump later said Republicans need to get the word out about the midterms, citing what he described as 35 to 40 races that the party is concerned about.

#republicans #texas

The heatwave is expected to last for nearly a week.
A dangerous, long-duration heatwave is sweeping through much of Southern California beginning Friday, creating increased fire risk in the region.
Extreme to moderate heat warnings are in place for more than 34 million Californians, with temperatures forecast to reach between 92 and over 105 degrees, including along the coastal plains.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned the conditions have created a high risk of "large and fast-moving fires" in the region's valleys and mountains.
The heatwave is expected to begin on Friday and last through at least Oct. 8.

#heatwave #southern #extreme #californians

Jillian Michaels admitted "a lot of Republicans" come up to her and express how "unhappy" they are with President Donald Trump as she warned the party not to rely on MAGA loyalists in the midterms.
On her Keeping It Real podcast on Friday, Michaels, a fitness trainer who has more recently turned to political commentary, reacted to a recent Fox News interview with musician and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj, who insisted MAGA remains loyal to Trump despite his falling poll numbers — which he has dismissed as fake news.
"They talk about how MAGA is still very loyal to Trump, but MAGA is not a big percentage, a big percentage of the total voting pool, because it's not the entire Republican Party," Michaels said.
She then turned to recent polling breaking down how voters identify with parties and movements.
According to Pew Research Center data, 28% of voters identify as Republicans, 29% identify as Democrats, and 44% identify as independent or something else. Among those independents, 43% lean Republican and 47% lean towards Democrats.

#michaels #republicans #recent

With the amount of information available on the internet, it can sometimes be difficult to keep up. Nya (nyaajadee) faced a similar problem when she helped her boyfriend purchase a thrifted shirt for work and later learned that the brand that made the shirt, Sean John, was owned by none other than rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.
For those wondering why Combs' ****** ociation with the brand is controversial, he is currently incarcerated at the Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution. He is serving a 50-month prison sentence following a criminal conviction in October 2025 for transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution.
So how did Nya learn about the shirt's controversial nature? In a TikTok video, she said that when her boyfriend wore it to the restaurant bar where he works, his colleagues started to laugh at him. "They were like, ****** , dude, a Sean John shirt? Like, you're kind of crazy," Nya said, recounting what his co-workers told him. Nya also shared that her boyfriend repeatedly asked them questions, as he was unaware of what was happening before finally realizing that Sean John was Diddy's clothing brand.
Nya said that after some back and forth, her boyfriend eventually realized that Sean John was Diddy's clothing brand. "We didn't know it was f****** Diddy. I didn't. I knew Diddy. I thought Diddy had pants. Just pants. I knew Diddy had pants. I didn't know he had shirts, too. But also, I didn't know that his clothing company was called Sean John," Nya said. She added, "So I helped my boyfriend pick out a Diddy shirt. What did Sean John do? What did Sean John not do?"
Turns out some people in the comments were as unaware as Nya about Diddy's clothing brand, despite knowing about his criminal conduct. One person wrote, "I didn't even know he made clothes." Another individual reacted similarly and said, "I guess I'm one millennial that was left out the loop lol because I didn't actually know his name other then his stage name, also did not know he had a clothing line."

#didn 't #clothing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is dispatching roughly 9,000 troops aboard a group of ships to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Thursday. The bolstering of the American military presence comes as President Donald Trump warned anew that new strikes against Iran could be on the horizon.
The troop movement, which includes a third aircraft carrier, underscores the rapidly evolving dynamic of Trump's war against Iran as he ponders his next move, with midterm elections in the United States looming large and new signs that the nature of the conflict may be becoming more complex.
Trump has threatened that a post-midterm election escalation — despite his initial promises to Americans of a campaign that would last a matter of weeks — remains a viable option. Further complicating matters, Trump told reporters Thursday that early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday.
In an exchange with reporters at the White House, Trump raised the connection when asked by a reporter if there were any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran.
"I would say the answer, based on what I'm hearing, is 'yes,' but we're working on it right now," Trump said, without offering details.

#military #reporters #washington #middle

Josh Duhamel has revealed how his decision to enter the testosterone business left him fearing that he could be run out of Hollywood because his fellow A-listers would "make fun" of him—while opening up about the very different life he has built away from Los Angeles.
The 53-year-old "Ransom Canyon" star recently spoke about his experience with testosterone replacement therapy, revealing that his former representatives had warned him that publicly attaching himself to the treatment could damage his image and career.
Duhamel, who co-founded men's health company Gatlan, said during an appearance on Dave Asprey's "The Human Upgrade" podcast that he initially had reservations about becoming so publicly involved with the company because of the potential response in Hollywood.
"I won't tell you the agency that I'm no longer with, but they said, 'Don't do it. It's bad for your image,'" he recalled. "And I was like, 'All right, watch.'"
Josh Duhamel has revealed how his decision to enter the testosterone business left him fearing that he could be run out of town in Hollywood—while opening up about the very different life he has built away from Los Angeles. (CBS Mornings)

#duhamel #left

Wynonna Judd is opening up about the surprising way she found out that her family was growing.
Speaking to People about her upcoming album, The Hard Truth — which she said is inspired by her strained relationship with her daughter, Grace Kelley — the country singer, 62, revealed she learned about 30-year-old Kelley's reported pregnancy through a TikTok video.
While Judd is already a grandmother to Kelley's 4-year-old daughter, Kaliyah, whom Judd and her husband of 12 years, Cactus Moser, legally adopted and are raising, she said she found out she might have another grandchild on the way after Us Weekly broke the news in August that Kelley, who is currently serving a 15-month sentence in a Virginia jail, requested a since-denied temporary release to give birth at a hospital.
"Isn't that crazy? I laid there, and I was shocked, just like you would imagine. And I cried and cried and cried and cried, because I have another grandbaby, I think," Judd, who is also a grandmother to Hazel, 2, via her son, Elijah Kelley, revealed.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

#kelley #cried #grandmother

Alison Hall learned she had a 36% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after taking an on-camera ******* sment inspired by Olivia Munn's story
An MRI and biopsies led to an early-stage diagnosis at age 32
She chose to undergo a double mastectomy and hopes her experience encourages younger women to advocate for additional screening
After her mother was treated for breast cancer when she was a teen, Alison Hall says she "thought there may be a risk that I would get breast cancer at some point in my life."
But as the Inside Edition reporter, now 34, tells PEOPLE, "I thought it was something I would deal with much later, at least in my 40s, if not 50s, 60s." Her doctors shared that view, telling Hall that she should start getting mammograms around the time she turned 40.

#cancer #inside #edition

Imagine spending decades wondering about your biological parents, only to discover that your dad is an icon of the '70s rock era.
That's what happened to Michael Goessling, a St. Louis man who was adopted as an infant and recently learned that his biological father is a five-time Grammy winner and Doobie Brothers crooner, Michael McDonald.
Goessling had always known he was adopted and says he had a wonderful childhood with his parents, Paul and Kay. But questions about his biological family remained until a half-brother he never knew existed took a 23andMe DNA test and received a match identifying Goessling as his half-brother.
Goessling eventually met his birth mother on his 58th birthday and later spoke with his biological father by phone. When his father mentioned that he was a musician preparing for a tour stop in St. Louis, Goessling put the pieces together and asked, "Are you Michael McDonald?" McDonald's response: "Yeah, I'm afraid so."
After finding out, father and son met in person, with Goessling recalling that McDonald immediately greeted him with a hug. The reunion came with another surprise for McDonald: He also learned he was a grandfather.

#father #louis #parents #half

Michael Douglas' "One **** uva Ride," out next week, is one of the most earnest and entertaining celebrity memoirs you're likely to read, covering his career as an Oscar-winning actor and producer along with his occasionally **** py personal life — both in incredible detail.
But the book almost didn't make it to bookstores on time, TheWrap can exclusively report.
According to insiders with knowledge of the situation, it nearly missed its deadline, which would have been catastrophic for publisher Grand Central Publishing, as the book was set to publish on Oct. 6. A multimillion-dollar advance had been paid to Douglas, with foreign rights sold in 25 countries and an extensive media tour plotted that included interviews with the New York Times, **** ociated Press and NPR, as well as appearances on shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher and Joe Rogan (plus, of course, the hosts of "The View"). The pressure was on.
"We knew Michael's book was going to go far and push boundaries," one insider said. "But we didn't expect it to go as far as it did, and to have that level of detail about his personal life and receipts for the most unbelievably wild and hilarious stories."
In the book, Douglas tells stories that he hasn't ever shared, revealing new details about some of his most famous productions, along with previously untold stories from private life (both, as you can imagine, are full of revelatory, drop-your-book-in-your-lap moments). It's a hoot.

#along #helluva

A realtor from Texas is having a viral moment on Instagram for showing that there was nothing behind the kitchen cabinet doors of a house that she was selling.
The video also uses the trending "I hope you're hungry, for nothing!" audio, adding to the post's humor, with commenters making various puns and jokes about the peculiar lack of a cabinet on the post.
Heather Kerr is a Houston-based realtor who also creates content on social media. A lot of her content is related to her work as a realtor, but she also posts about her life and religion.
Her first viral moment happened recently, thanks to a video in which she showed the very unusual kitchen cabinet door with no actual cabinet behind it in a Pasadena house that she was selling.
The video, posted on September 22nd, has since garnered nearly 2 million views on Instagram, as well as 100,000 likes and over 500 comments.

#Instagram #viral #nothing #behind

Kerry Washington's husband Nnamdi Asomugha played alongside Jason Kelce on the Eagles for two seasons
The Scandal star bonded with Kylie Kelce over their Eagles WAG status
Washington said Asomugha praised Jason Kelce's maturity and leadership during his rookie year
WAGs — they're everywhere!
While Kylie Kelce is known for her passion for the Philadelphia Eagles and her marriage to retired center Jason Kelce, she recently learned that she is in the same "wives and girlfriends" club with Scandal star Kerry Washington.

#Eagles #star

Ben Affleck once escaped a terrifying teenage mugging after recognizing the boys holding him at knifepoint. Years later, he learned one of those boys had killed someone and served 20 years in prison.
The actor recently revisited the encounter while reflecting on his childhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. What began as a frightening walk home eventually became a memory that followed him into parenthood.
Affleck shared the story during an interview with Kerry Washington on her Street You Grew Up On podcast. He recalled walking home from high school at around 15 when two boys in hoods crossed the street toward him. Affleck initially considered running but decided against it. "They pass me, grab me, take a knife out: 'Gimme your money,'" he recalled. "And I was like, 'Oh!' I was scared."
The situation changed when Affleck recognized the teenagers from playing baseball. The boys also recognized him, turning the encounter from a mugging into a strange neighborhood exchange. "So I was like, 'I guess I'm off the hook?'" he remembered. Affleck later discovered that one of the boys had taken a much darker path. "That kid who robbed me ended up three or four years later killing somebody with a knife and going to prison for 20 years," he said.
He also admitted that he never told his mother about the incident. Affleck said he avoided worrying her and now regretted keeping difficult experiences to himself. "I didn't wanna worry her. I didn't wanna scare her," he explained. That silence became especially meaningful after Affleck became a father. "You guys know you can tell me anything. Anything! I'm so cool with anything you have to say," he recalled telling his children.

#mugging #prison

SENSUAL ALLURE: Roberto Cavalli is all about hedonism in its new campaign staged in Los Angeles.
The brand selected "The Shards" star Hayes Warner, who was lensed by Indiana Piorek in a villa that overlooks the city.
More from WWD
Colman Domingo Fronts Away's Campaign for Series 3 and Signature Bag Collections
Cardi B Slides Into Wildlife-inspired Pumps to Sit Front-row at Roberto Cavalli's Spring 2027 Milan Show

#roberto #shards #warner

Search for Tom Holland's car collection and you'll find a dozen sites promising a seven-figure garage. Ask any of them for a photo, a registration or one post from Holland himself, and the list gets short fast. Here is the sorted version: what is confirmed, what is movie marketing, and what is internet filler.
The one car with real evidence behind it is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. In April 2022 Holland came back to Instagram with a photo beside a new Taycan, and the post was widely reported as a Turbo S.
A Porsche Taycan Turbo S, the model reported in Holland's 2022 post. Photo: Rutger van der Maar / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
It is a smart pick for an actor who plays a kid from Queens. The Turbo S makes roughly 750 horsepower on overboost, runs on an 800-volt electrical system that fast-charges quicker than most electric cars, and uses a two-speed rear transmission that nearly every other EV skips. Pricing starts north of $180,000 before options. It is also dead quiet, which makes speed easy to miss, a lesson Richard Hammond learned the expensive way.
Audi partnered with Marvel on Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. The centerpiece was a short film in which Tony Stark lends Peter Parker a brand-new A8 for his driving test, with J.B. Smoove as the instructor losing a fight with the dashboard.

#turbo #fast #speed

With 8.5 million people spread over just 300 square miles, New York is the most populous city in America. Home to Broadway, Wall Street, the Met, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Comedy Cellar and, of course, the news media, New York is where the conversation starts and ends.
More from Variety
Doc Society Announces Fund for Films 'In Service of Better Futures,' Zohran Mamdani Project Among First Supported Features (EXCLUSIVE)
Anne Hathaway Would Rather Have Another Knicks Championship Over a Second Oscar
'Verity' Review: Dakota Johnson and Anne Hathaway Drift Through Another Listless Colleen Hoover Adaptation

#anne #hathaway

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that it has completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last U.S. troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington.
The withdrawal, agreed on two years ago, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq, with Iran-backed militias firing on U.S. troops and the U.S. striking the groups' strongholds.
Baghdad touted the end of the U.S. mission as a sign of the country's increasing strength and sovereignty.
The withdrawal was also celebrated by Iran-backed groups but raised concerns among some other Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region. Meanwhile, questions loom around the future of the Iraqi militias, which the Baghdad government has sought — with little success so far — to disarm.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that U.S. troops and equipment had completed an "orderly departure" from the air base in Irbil, in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

#baghdad #withdrawal #kurdish #northern

I'll admit that like many economists and market commentators, I have warned about more market calamities than have actually come to pass. I'll say this in my defense:
If you ignore risk, you take your chances with what the market does next. If you always seek to account for risk, you can ride the highs without being pummeled by all the lows. Over time, that's a more gratifying investment experience.
Here's Another Little-Known Firm Jensen Huang's Nvidia Is Quietly Backing
MediaTek Is Stepping Up Competition Against Qualcomm With a New 2-Nanometer Chip. What This Means for QCOM Stock.
1 Year Into the Microsoft Deal, IREN Is Delivering and a Rally May Follow Soon

#little

On August 6, Aflac (NYSE:AFL) reported second-quarter numbers that point in opposite directions. Net earnings climbed to $825 million, helped along by investment losses that shrank to $153 million from $421 million a year ago. Adjusted earnings, though, fell 7.7% to $883 million. Both numbers are real, but they answer different questions. Which measure you trust changes the story, so here is what sits underneath.
Start with the yen, because it is muddying the picture. The average rate was 159.45 to the dollar, 9.3% weaker than a year earlier, and that cost adjusted earnings $0.05 a share. Take the currency out of the first half and adjusted earnings per share rose 4.1% to $3.57. ******* an is also running more profitably. Its pretax adjusted margin widened to 34.3% from 32.0% as claims took a smaller bite out of premiums, and yen-based pretax adjusted earnings rose 3.4%. So part of the decline in ******* an's dollar-reported profit is currency, not operations.
The US business is still growing at the top line. Net earned premiums rose 2.3% to $1.5 billion, and sales climbed 2.6% to $349 million, led by group voluntary benefits along with dental and vision plans. In ******* an, the refreshed Tsumitasu life policy and the new Anshin Palette medical product grew strongly in the quarter, and first-half sales rose 7.0% to ¥37.3 billion. Then there is the cash. Aflac returned $1.3 billion to shareholders in the quarter, $983 million of it through buybacks, and declared a $0.61 third-quarter dividend, payable September 1 to holders of record on August 19, 2026. Management notes 43 straight years of dividend increases through 2025 and says the board is on a path to extend that in 2026.
The catch is that ******* an's profit gains came from lower claims, not a bigger business. Net earned premiums in yen fell 3.7%, mainly because of a new external reinsurance deal and older limited-pay policies reaching paid-up status. Premium persistency, the share of policies customers keep, slipped to 92.7% from 93.7%. ******* an's pretax adjusted earnings still fell 2.1% once currency is stripped out, and new sales dipped 5.6% in the quarter against a tough comparison for the Miraito cancer product, which launched in March 2025.
The US segment has its own soft spot. Pretax adjusted earnings fell 4.6% to $370 million, and the margin narrowed to 20.9% from 22.5% as claims and benefits took a bigger share of premiums. Corporate and Other swung to a $10 million pretax adjusted loss from a $20 million gain a year earlier, with interest expense up 21.6% to $62 million. And adjusted book value per share, excluding foreign currency remeasurement, slid to $41.22 at June 30 from $42.97 a year earlier.

#earnings #fell

On September 9, 2026, Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) reported its first quarterly results as a public company, with total revenue up 10% year over year to $208 million and same-store sales accelerating to 2.3% growth from 1.7% in the prior quarter. It was primarily driven by transaction growth even as the restaurant industry faced weak traffic trends. Net income fell to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. It showed non-routine expenses, advertising fund timing, and higher interest costs following the company's July initial public offering, partially offset by a $14 million gain on the sale of corporate-owned stores.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) is gaining customers while its brand remains a major competitive advantage. The firm added 83 stores in the second quarter. It grew its customer base and increased systemwide sales 10% to $1.21 billion. Jersey Mike's also earned the No. 1 ranking among U.S. quick-service restaurant brands in the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index, surpassing Chick-fil-A after 11 consecutive years at the top. It gives the newly public company a strong foundation for continued customer and franchisee growth.
The business has substantial whitespace for long-term unit growth. Jersey Mike's ended the quarter with 3,378 locations and maintains a domestic development pipeline of more than 1,600 stores, with more than 90% of that pipeline coming from existing franchisees. Management estimates that the U.S. market could eventually support roughly 7,500 locations and sees potential to reach approximately 15,000 stores globally. It gives the business a long runway for franchise-led revenue and royalty growth.
Digital engagement and transaction growth give Jersey Mike's more avenues to increase sales. Digital sales represented 43% of systemwide sales in the second quarter, up from 41% a year earlier. Same-store sales increased 2.3% mainly because customers placed more transactions. Jersey Mike's also had more than 12.5 million active MyMike's loyalty members in 2025. It provides the company with a large customer database that it can use to increase frequency and personalize marketing as it expands.
Jersey Mike's Subs Inc. (NYSE:JMKE) still faces a significant profitability challenge despite its revenue growth. Second-quarter revenue jumped 10% to $208 million. However, net income fell 37% to $37 million from $59 million a year earlier. Management attributed part of the decline to advertising-fund timing and higher interest expense. It shows that revenue growth has not yet translated into comparable bottom-line growth for shareholders.

#million #customer

On September 8, 2026, Reuters reported that Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY) said California Attorney General Rob Bonta made television statements that contradict his own legal arguments against Paramount's request for a $1.88 billion bond in the ongoing court fight over its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD).
Bonta's office has argued the bond is unnecessary because Paramount voluntarily agreed to pause the deal's closing rather than wait for a court injunction. But Paramount described that same pause as equivalent to an injunction in media interviews, which it argues legally requires the states to post a bond under antitrust law. A hearing is scheduled for September 24.
Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ:PSKY) could protect a significant portion of its financial position if the court grants its $1.88 billion bond request. Paramount says the delay could cost it about $1.3 billion in fees to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders by the time the case concludes in April 2027. A bond would give Paramount a potential path to recover those losses if it ultimately defeats the states' challenge. It reduces the financial damage from a prolonged legal process.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD) is receiving financial protection from the transaction's delay through Paramount's ticking fees. Paramount agreed to pay WBD shareholders approximately $7 million per day starting October 1 if the transaction does not close, creating a growing payment obligation for Paramount. It is also providing WBD shareholders with compensation for waiting. The arrangement gives WBD a financial benefit from the prolonged closing process even as the companies await a final legal resolution.
The legal dispute has not eliminated the strategic rationale for combining the two media companies. Paramount argues that the merger would strengthen the film and television industry and lead to more content while giving the combined company greater scale to compete with Netflix and Disney. For Paramount, completing the acquisition would speed up David Ellison's plan to build a larger media competitor. WBD shareholders would receive the transaction consideration rather than remain exposed to the company's standalone turnaround.

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