“What's Happening!! ”Child Star Danielle Spencer Honored at Celebration of Life Ceremony After Her Death at 60

"What's Happening!! "Child Star Danielle Spencer Honored at Celebration of Life Ceremony After Her Death at 60

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Holly Robinson Peete/Instagram Danielle Spencer was honored at a memorial and celebration of life ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 21 TheWhat's Happening!!actress' friends Holly Robinson Peete, Haywood Nelson and Kim Fields shared photos from the event on social media Spencer died earlier this month on Aug. 11 at the age of 60 Danielle Spencermay be gone, but she's certainly not forgotten. Holly Robinson Peete,Haywood NelsonandKim Fieldsshared Instagram posts from a celebration of life ceremony held in Richmond, Virginia, on Aug. 21, for theWhat's Happening!!actress, who died earlier this month on Aug. 11 at the age of 60. "Yesterday in Richmond, I had the honor of remembering Dr. Danielle Spencer — known to the world as the hilarious 'Dee' from What's Happening — but to me, she was my sweet girlfriend and schoolmate when we were just 12 and 13," Peete wrote in the post, shared Friday, Aug. 22. "I will never forget her kindness, her grace, and her strength through life's many challenges." "Being with her family and loved ones … and sharing in the love of those who were with her in her final moments is something I will cherish forever," the21 Jump Streetalum added. "Rest in heavenly peace, Danielle. You will always be remembered with so much love." Peete ended her post, which included several photos and video clips from the event, with a quote she attributed to Spencer, which read: "I've been through fire, but I came out stronger. Every challenge I faced was a step toward the woman I was meant to be." "We're here for Danielle Spencer. This is her memorial, her wonderful memorial day. It was a homegoing. We love her, we miss her, but we have her forever — and so do you," he said in the video, which also featured his wife, Paula DeJesus. "This was an incredible celebration of her life." "A hard yet meaningful day in a home-going celebration of Dr. Danielle Luise Spencer," he wrote in the caption. "So much appreciation for the love shared." Both Nelson and Spencer reprised theirWhat's Happening!!roles onWhat's Happening Now!!, the show's sequel series. "Had the honor of speaking today, celebrating her life," she wrote of Spencer alongside a video of her blowing a kiss to her longtime friend, whose photo was displayed on a digital billboard outside the venue. "Our intersecting began pre everything. New York days. Our parents were in acting school together." Fields referenced her choice of footwear, a pair of "Barbie pink heels just for her," that she wore "in honor of our epic Barbie playdates." "She had the most incredible collection (dolls and ALL the Barbie toys)," she continued. "I added to her collection today with a black veterinarian Barbie, presenting it to her mom. Dani left acting and became a successful veterinarian, DOCTOR Danielle Spencer." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them, and we all have this family's — Dr. Danielle Spencer (June 24, 1965 – August 11, 2025)," shared Nelson in thesocial media post. "Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body," he added. "We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer." "We have lost a daughter, sister, family member,What's Happening!!cast member, veterinarian, animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced." A cause of death has not been announced. Read the original article onPeople

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August 22, 2025

“What's Happening!! ”Child Star Danielle Spencer Honored at Celebration of Life Ceremony After Her Death at 60

"What's Happening!! "Child Star Danielle Spencer Honored at Celebration of Life Ceremony After Her Death at 60 ABC Photo Archi...

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Kate Middleton Hits Pause on Vacation to Share a Heartfelt Message

Kate Middleton Hits Pause on Vacation to Share a Heartfelt Message

When it comes to sports, one thing is crystal clear about the Wales family: they're all in. Whether it'sPrince Williamin the stands withPrince George,Princess CharlotteandPrince Louis, orPrincess Catherineherselfcheering from the sidelines, this royal crew loves their games. Just recently, Princess Catherine shared a sweet shoutout to England's women's rugby team, the Red Roses, ahead of their big match against the USA Eagles. The game kicks off at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday, August 22, as part of the Women's Rugby World Cup. Right before the match, Catherine hopped on her Instagram Stories to repost the team's official game announcement and added her own message of support. "Wishing the Red Roses the very best as they kick off their Women's Rugby World Cup campaign tonight," she wrote. "I look forward to cheering you on and seeing the team rise to the challenge on home soil!" She signed it off simply with her signature "C." Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram Honestly, it's no surprise she's backing her home team. Catherine and Prince William bothvoiced their supportfor Team Great Britain during the 2024 Paris Olympics and she's clearly not just a fan of the pro leagues, she's just as devoted to the littles. Panthea Parker, star ofThe Real Housewives of London, recently revealed that Catherine is regularlyspotted at her kids' sports matches. "I see her quite a few times because my son's school plays against her son's school. So they play rugby and football against each other, so we're always at her school or my school," she toldHello!magazine, adding, "I do see her a lot, but not to talk to, just from afar. So classy, so lovely, and she never misses any of her children's matches, so really amazing. And nor do I, otherwise how do I know that?" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Red Roses (@redrosesrugby) Whether she's backing Team GB, the Red Roses or cheering from the sidelines with other parents, one thing's for sure: Kate's got serious sports mom energy and I'm here for it. Want all the latest royal news sent right to your inbox? Clickhere. Kensington Palace Confirms Bombshell News: Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Moving (See Photos of Their Rumored New Home)

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August 22, 2025

Kate Middleton Hits Pause on Vacation to Share a Heartfelt Message

Kate Middleton Hits Pause on Vacation to Share a Heartfelt Message When it comes to sports, one thing is crystal clear about the Wales famil...

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George Lopez, Jesse Garcia, Al Madrigal Join All-Immigrant Cast for Virtual ‘Superbad’ Table Read (EXCLUSIVE)

George Lopez, Jesse Garcia, Al Madrigal Join All-Immigrant Cast for Virtual 'Superbad' Table Read (EXCLUSIVE)

George Lopez, Jesse Garcia and Al Madrigal are among the new additions to the one-night-only virtual table read of the 2007 hit comedy "Superbad," reimagined with an all-immigrant and children-of-immigrants cast. The live event will stream Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET on Immigrant Defenders Law Center's official YouTube channel. The performance will raise money for ImmDef's Bond Fund, which helps immigrants in detention secure release and reunite with their families. Donations can be made before, during and after the event via the livestream and ImmDef's website. More from Variety Seth Rogen Says Sony Wouldn't Allow Jonah Hill to Use a PlayStation in 'Superbad': He Can't 'Interact With Our Products. It's Too Vile a Character' George Lopez's Final Stand-Up Special to Premiere in February Ken Watanabe, George Lopez Among SCAD TV Fest Honorees Also joining the cast are actors Chris Estrada, Julissa Calderon and Leo Gonzalez, along with the previously announced Hasan Minhaj, Cobie Smulders, Harvey Guillén and Melissa Fumero. The event is created by "Gentefied" co-creator Marvin Lemus and produced with Gloria Calderón Kellett, showrunner of "One Day at a Time" and "With Love." Both are children of immigrants and said they wanted the reading to bring joy and community while spotlighting the importance of immigrant advocacy. "Right now, so much of what fills our feeds is pain, fear and uncertainty," Calderón Kellett said. "Marvin and I wanted to carve out a little space for joy — to laugh together, to feel community, and to remind people that they are seen, valued and not alone. As children of immigrants, this is personal for us. We know how heavy things feel, and we hope this one-of-a-kind reading not only raises vital funds for ImmDef's incredible work but also brings a spark of levity and hope to everyone who joins us." Lemus adds: "If you wanna help immigrants, tell everyone you know about this live read! This is going to be the best live read of a teen comedy ever attempted since the pandemic ended." The creators of the original "Superbad" — Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Judd Apatow — have voiced their support for the event. Founded in 2015, ImmDef is one of California's largest nonprofit providers of deportation defense and immigrant legal services. With more than 160 staff members across four offices, the organization serves more than 30,000 detained and non-detained children and adults each year across Southern California. Best of Variety Oscar Predictions 2026: Venice and Telluride Will Spark the Start of Awards Season New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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August 22, 2025

George Lopez, Jesse Garcia, Al Madrigal Join All-Immigrant Cast for Virtual ‘Superbad’ Table Read (EXCLUSIVE)

George Lopez, Jesse Garcia, Al Madrigal Join All-Immigrant Cast for Virtual 'Superbad' Table Read (EXCLUSIVE) George Lopez, Jesse Ga...

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Congo's prosecutor asks for the death penalty for former President Kabila for war crimes

Congo's prosecutor asks for the death penalty for former President Kabila for war crimes

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congo's public prosecutor on Friday asked for the death penalty forformer President Joseph Kabila, who is being tried in absentiain a treason case that includes war crimes charges related to his nearly 20-year rule of the West African nation. Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019, has been on trial since July, charged with war crimes, murder and rape. He took office at the age of 29 — after his father and former President Laurent Kabila was assassinated — and extended his mandate by delaying elections for two years after his term ended in 2017. in 2001. He is also accused by the Congolese government of supportingthe Rwanda-backed M23 rebelswho have seized major cities and towns in the country's east in the past months. Kabila had been in self-imposed exile since 2023 until April, whenhe arrived in the rebel-held city of Gomafollowing its seizure in a rapid rebel offensive. His supporters say the trial is politically motivated. Kabila'spresidential immunity was revokedin May, which analysts at the time viewed as a step towards an eventual prosecution. His current whereabouts are unknown. In court on Friday, Gen. Lucien René Likulia representing the prosecution also asked, in addition to the death penalty, for a 20-year-sentence for Kabila's alleged apologetic behavior for war crimes and 15 years for conspiracy. The general did not elaborate on those charges or say what they refer to. No date has been set for the sentencing. Congolese PresidentFelix Tshisekedilast year accused Kabila of backing the rebels and "preparing an insurrection" with them, a claim Kabila denies. Ferdinand Kambere, a former minister under Kabila and current head of his party, the PPRD, said revoking Kabila's immunity as senator-for-life was the start of the campaign against him. "What we saw was truly a disgrace for the Republic," Kambere told The Associated Press over the phone. Henry-Pacifique Mayala, a researcher and coordinator of the Kivu Security Tracker, told the AP that the prosecution's demands seem to be "more of a settling of scores session than a quest for truth."

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August 22, 2025

Congo's prosecutor asks for the death penalty for former President Kabila for war crimes

Congo's prosecutor asks for the death penalty for former President Kabila for war crimes GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congo's public prosecuto...

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Exclusive-Trump plans to make Cold War-era plutonium available for nuclear power

Exclusive-Trump plans to make Cold War-era plutonium available for nuclear power

By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration plans to make available about 20 metric tons of Cold War-era plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads to U.S. power companies as a potential fuel for reactors, according to a source familiar with the matter and a draft memo outlining the plan. Plutonium has previously only been converted to fuel for commercial U.S. reactors in short-lived tests. The plan would follow through on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May ordering the government to halt much of its existing program to dilute and dispose of surplus plutonium, and instead provide it as a fuel for advanced nuclear technologies. The Department of Energy, or DOE, plans to announce in coming days it will seek proposals from industry, said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The source cautioned that because the plan is still a draft, its final details could change pending further discussions. The plutonium would be offered to industry at little to no cost -- with a catch. Industry will be responsible for costs of transportation, designing, building, and decommissioning DOE-authorized facilities to recycle, process and manufacture the fuel, the memo said. The details on the volume of the plutonium, industry's responsibilities in the plan and the potential timing of a U.S. announcement, have not been previously reported. The 20 metric tons would be drawn from a larger, 34-metric-ton stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium that the United States had previously committed to dispose of under a non-proliferation agreement with Russia in 2000. The Department of Energy did not confirm or deny the Reuters reporting, saying only that the department is "evaluating a variety of strategies to build and strengthen domestic supply chains for nuclear fuel, including plutonium," as directed by Trump's orders. Boosting the U.S. power industry is a policy priority for the Trump administration as U.S. electricity demand rises for the first time in two decades on the boom in data centers needed for artificial intelligence. The idea of using surplus plutonium for fuel has raised concerns among nuclear safety experts who argue a previous similar effort failed. Under the 2000 agreement, the plutonium was initially planned to be converted to mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, to run in nuclear power plants. But in 2018, the first Trump administration killed the contract for a MOX project that it said would have cost more than $50 billion. The U.S. Energy Department holds surplus plutonium at heavily guarded weapons facilities including Savannah River in South Carolina, Pantex in Texas, and Los Alamos in New Mexico. Plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years and must be handled with protective gear. Until Trump's May order, the U.S. program to dispose of the plutonium has involved blending it with an inert material and storing it in an experimental underground storage site called the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. The Energy Department has estimated that burying the plutonium would cost $20 billion. "Trying to convert this material into reactor fuel is insanity. It would entail trying to repeat the disastrous MOX fuel program and hoping for a different result," said Edwin Lyman, a nuclear physicist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The excess plutonium is a dangerous waste product and DOE should stick to the safer, more secure and far cheaper plan to dilute and directly dispose of it in WIPP." (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Lisa Shumaker)

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August 22, 2025

Exclusive-Trump plans to make Cold War-era plutonium available for nuclear power

Exclusive-Trump plans to make Cold War-era plutonium available for nuclear power By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump adminis...

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from Tennessee jail so he can rejoin family in Maryland to await trial

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from Tennessee jail so he can rejoin family in Maryland to await trial

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —Kilmar Abrego Garciawas released from jail in Tennessee on Friday so he can rejoin his family in Maryland while awaiting trial on human smuggling charges. The Salvadoran national's case becamea flashpointin PresidentDonald Trump'simmigrationagenda after he was mistakenly deported in March. Facing a court order, the Trump administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, only to detain him on criminal charges. Although Abrego Garcia was deemed eligible for pretrial release, he hadremained in jailat the request of his attorneys, who feared the Republican administration could try to immediatelydeport him againif he were freed. Those fears were somewhat allayed bya recent rulingin a separate case in Maryland, which requires immigration officials to allow Abrego Garcia time to mount a challenge to any deportation order. On Friday, Abrego Garcia walked out of the Putnam County jail wearing a short-sleeved white button-down shirt and black pants and accompanied by defense attorney Rascoe Dean. They did not speak to reporters but got into a white SUV and sped off. The release order from the Tennessee court requires Abrego Garcia to travel directly to Maryland, where he will be in home detention with his brother designated as his custodian. He is required to submit to electronic monitoring and can only leave the home for work, religious services and other approved activities. An attorney for Abrego Garcia in his deportation case in Maryland, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said in a statement Friday his client had been "reunited with his loving family" for the first time since he was wrongfully deported to anotorious El Salvador prisonin March. "While his release brings some relief, we all know that he is far from safe," Sandoval-Moshenberg said. "ICE detention or deportation to an unknown third country still threaten to tear his family apart." Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem slammed the decision to free Abrego Garcia. "Activist liberal judges have attempted to obstruct our law enforcement every step of the way in removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country," Noem said in a statement. She called ordering his release a "new low" by a "publicity hungry Maryland judge," apparently referring to the judge overseeing his original deportation case rather than the Tennessee judge who ordered him freed. "We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is OUT of our country," Noem said. Earlier this week, Abrego Garcia's criminal attorneys filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the smuggling case, claiming he is being prosecuted to punish him forchallenging his removal to El Salvador. In a statement Friday, defense attorney Sean Hecker called the charges a "vindictive attack on a man who had the courage to fight back against the Administration's continuing assault on the rule of law." Abrego Garcia haspleaded not guiltyto the smuggling charges, which stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding.Body camera footagefrom a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows a calm exchange with Abrego Garcia. There were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was allowed to continue driving with only a warning. A Department of Homeland Security agent testified he did not begin investigating the traffic stop until this April, when the government wasfacing mounting pressureto return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. Abrego Garcia has an American wife and children and haslived in Marylandfor years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to El Salvador, where he faces a "well-founded fear" of violence, according to court filings. He was required to check in yearly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement while Homeland Security issued him a work permit. Although Abrego Garcia can't be deported to El Salvador without violating the judge's order, Homeland Security officials have said they plan to deport him to an unnamed third country.

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August 22, 2025

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from Tennessee jail so he can rejoin family in Maryland to await trial

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is freed from Tennessee jail so he can rejoin family in Maryland to await trial NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —Kilmar Abrego Ga...

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