Chuck Mangione, whose jazz songs found new life on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 84

Chuck Mangione, whose jazz songs found new life on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 84

Chuck Mangione, a prolific composer and musician who released 30 albums in his career, died July 22, a statement from his family confirmed. He was 84. "The family of Chuck Mangione is deeply saddened to share that Chuck peacefully passed away in his sleep at his home in Rochester, New York, on July 22, 2025," the statement, shared July 24 with theRochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network, read. A celebrated composer and virtuoso flugelhorn and trumpet player, Mangione began taking music lessons at age 8 and played in a jazz combo with his pianist brother, Gap, during his high school years. He and Gap were both heavily inspired by Dizzy Gillespie, a family friend and jazz great, whom their father adored. Gillespie would join the Mangiones for dinner whenever he was in town and became one of Mangione's biggest influences. Gillespie was so impressed by teenage Mangione's musical prowess that he gave him one of his trademark upswept trumpets. Mangione went on to study at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in music education, later returning to teach and direct the school's jazz ensemble. He then parlayed a musical upbringing into a successful solo career, selling millions of records and receiving numerous awards, including two Grammys: in 1977 for best instrumental composition ("Bellavia") and in 1979 for best pop instrumental performance ("The Children of Sanchez"). The latter, a soundtrack for the movie of the same name, also won a Golden Globe. His 1977 single "Feels So Good," off an album of the same name, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard albums chart in 1978, bested only by the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. "Feels So Good" also became an ongoing bit on TV's animated"King of the Hill,"where it was frequently referenced, with Mangione himself nabbing a recurring voice-acting role. Mangione also composed "Give it All You Got," the theme song for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, and performed it during the closing ceremonies to an audience of several hundred million viewers. "Chuck's love affair with music has been characterized by his boundless energy, unabashed enthusiasm, and pure joy that radiated from the stage," his family's statement reads. "His appreciation for his loyal worldwide fans was genuine as evidenced by how often he would sit at the edge of the stage after a concert for however long it took to sign autographs for the fans who stayed to meet him and the band." The family also noted that he worked to inspire a new generation of musicians by using high school bands as his orchestra or scheduling children's matinee concerts where kids in the audience would be invited to bring their instruments and join him onstage. Even before his death, Mangione's wide-ranging music career was memorialized in the American songbook. In 2009, he donated a selection of his music memorabilia to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Among the items: his signature brown felt hat, scores to his most important works, photos, albums and even an animation cell from"King of The Hill." This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:Chuck Mangione death: 'Feels So Good' jazz musician dies at 84

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July 24, 2025

Chuck Mangione, whose jazz songs found new life on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 84

Chuck Mangione, whose jazz songs found new life on 'King of the Hill,' dead at 84 Chuck Mangione, a prolific composer and musician w...

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Former Food Network Star Recalled Anne Burrell ‘Going Through Some Stuff’ as Her Death Is Ruled a Suicide

Former Food Network Star Recalled Anne Burrell 'Going Through Some Stuff' as Her Death Is Ruled a Suicide

A little over a month after her unexpected passing,Anne Burrell's death has been ruled a suicide. The New York City medical examiner's office has determined that the 55-year-old Food Network star's cause of death was from "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine," according toPeople. AsStarreported last month, Burrell was "found next to dozens of pills," per theNew York Postand her husband,Stuart Claxton, found her "unresponsive" in the shower of their Brooklyn, New York home. Additionally, a rep for the New York City Fire Department toldPage Sixthat the person who called 911 said Burrell went into "cardiac arrest" and was "DOA [dead on arrival]." Days after her passing, fellow Food Network starDuff Goldmanhinted that the formerWorst Cooks in Americahost had been privately struggling years prior. "Anne and I became friends in probably 2006," Goldman wrote in aJune 19 Instagram post. "She was going through some stuff and I had heard that she was feeling it, so on a trip to NYC from Baltimore I had made her a cake that said 'Don't let the bastards win.' She never did." "We had a complex relationship, and I remember the last conversation we had before our paths drifted was a pretty feisty debate about the merits of catfish," he recalled. "I believe the words 'trash fish,' 'tastes like mud,' and 'cake boy' were used." "Anne and I always had a spirited and somewhat acerbic back and forth," Goldman continued. "I really never knew why our paths drifted but I always hoped that wherever she was, Anne was doing well and was finding some happiness." Goldman explained that about two years ago, he attended an event in New York City where he ran into the formerSecrets of a Restaurant Chefhost. "Now, at this point we hadn't spoken in years, and I won't go into what we talked about but I will say that that conversation left my heart lifted and full of light, for it truly seemed to me that Anne really had found a measure of happiness and love," Goldman penned. "Life is tough, and we have to be tough to get through it." "Anne was as tough as they come," he added, "but when you got past the armor there was a depth of compassion and kindness that was absolutely beautiful. My heart sings when I think of the love and tranquility that it seems Anne had found recently." Burrell is survived by her husband and his son,Javier, her mother,Marlene, and sister,Jane.

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July 24, 2025

Former Food Network Star Recalled Anne Burrell ‘Going Through Some Stuff’ as Her Death Is Ruled a Suicide

Former Food Network Star Recalled Anne Burrell 'Going Through Some Stuff' as Her Death Is Ruled a Suicide A little over a month afte...

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Jenna Bush Hager Curses on “Today” Show, Breaking NBC Rules: 'I Feel Worried, Like I'm Going to Get a Call From the Boss'

Jenna Bush Hager Curses on "Today" Show, Breaking NBC Rules: 'I Feel Worried, Like I'm Going to Get a Call From the Boss'

Jenna & Friends Jenna Bush Hageris still cringing after an on-air accident on the Thursday, July 24, episode of her showToday with Jenna & Friends. The moment came while the 43-year-old was co-hosting with palWillie Geist. TheTodayshow staples were discussing their extensive history together when things went off the rails. Bush Hager recalled the first time she met Geist's wife, Christina, whom she calls "Tini," in 2012 when their sonGeorgewas just 3 years old. "Christina goes — I don't know if you can say this — but he was like, 'God, George is acting like an a------,'" Bush Hager recalled as Geist and seemingly the rest of the crew shared shocked expressions. "You can't say that. You can't say it." Jenna & Friends While Bush Hager attempted to continue with her story, the show's producers informed her that she couldn't say the expletive on NBC. "Can you say it one time?" she asked. "No," Geist, who hostsSunday Today, informed her. "You can say it zero times." "Oh, sorry, sorry, everybody's looking at me like 'why did you say that?'" Bush Hager said, covering her face with her hands. "I'mlooking at you like 'why did you say that?'" Geist teased his longtime pal. "I'd like to go on the record that my wife never said such a thing about my precious 3-year-old son." "She did!" Bush Hager insisted. "Now I'm blushing and I never blush. Was it the tequila? I thought you were allowed to say it one time." Jenna & Friends Despite producers being audibly heard telling Bush Hager that "no" she could not, in fact, curse one time, she then asked, "That's justSchitt's Creek?" referencing the hit comedy with the tongue and cheek title. "That's just the title of the show spelled differently. Don't keep going down the line of expletives," Geist told her. "This stops here. And we are live on NBC this morning!" As the show went on, Bush Hager became more and more flustered, saying, "I feel worried like I'm going to get a call from the boss or something," while Geist reassured her, "No, you're fine. You're good." James Devaney/GC And while they attempted to continue the morning show talk, the subject kept returning. NBC correspondent Peter Alexander, who had filled in forCraig Melvinon the first two hours of theTodayshow, was seen coming onto the studio set, giving Bush Hager a hard time. "I'm still stuck in a moment and I'm trying to get out of it," Bush Hager admitted. "I'm still stuck in a moment, and here's Peter Alexander from the White House coming over to shame me. I was told you could say it one time!" Geist shut down the notion, saying, "You were not told! No, you were not told. Peter, you're making it worse, just…" "I feel bad! Peter, please go," Bush Hager said. "The shame is all-encompassing. I'm sorry. I apologize to everybody. I apologize." Later in the show, Bush Hager referenced "ruining my job, ruining my career," before admitting to Geist, "I want to be in a shame ball and go eat some Smashburger tacos ... why did I do it? Why did I do it? Where did it come from?" https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf Bush Hager isn't alone in accidentally breaking FCC broadcast rules on Today. In 2018,Savannah Guthrie was caughtsaying, "Oh s---," on camera, later apologizing for the snafu. And in April, Bush Hager's guest co-hostTyra Banks said "bitch" on air, immediately realizing that she was not allowed to use the expletive. "I don't think you can say that. But I love you so much," Bush Hager told Banks at the time, laughing before Banks asked, "Did you guys do the beep? Beep me!" Read the original article onPeople

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July 24, 2025

Jenna Bush Hager Curses on “Today” Show, Breaking NBC Rules: 'I Feel Worried, Like I'm Going to Get a Call From the Boss'

Jenna Bush Hager Curses on "Today" Show, Breaking NBC Rules: 'I Feel Worried, Like I'm Going to Get a Call From the Boss...

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Peru seizes record 4-ton mercury shipment in fight against illegal gold mining

Peru seizes record 4-ton mercury shipment in fight against illegal gold mining

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Peruvian customs officials have seized a record-breaking shipment ofillegal mercury, exposing a cross-border smuggling network that is fueling one of the Amazon's most destructive criminal economies: illicit gold mining. The 4-ton haul — the largest mercury seizure ever made in an Amazon country and one of the world's largest — was discovered in June at the port of Callao, hidden inside gravel-filled bags on a cargo ship bound for Bolivia. Though labeled as crushed stone, the shipment was flagged by customs agents based on international intelligence sharing. "This crushed stone was laced with mercury," said Jorge Gallo Alvarado, head of customs enforcement at SUNAT, Peru's tax and customs agency. "It's a restricted substance because it's used in illegal alluvial mining." The container, which originated inMexico, was singled out for inspection by SUNAT's risk analysis team. U.S. specialists later confirmed the presence of mercury embedded in the gravel — a tactic increasingly used to avoid detection at ports. The seized goods are valued at roughly $500,000, SUNAT said. High-value illicit trade Authorities say the bust marks a turning point in efforts to dismantle the supply chains behind the Amazon's illicit gold trade. Mercury, a powerful neurotoxin banned or tightly restricted in many countries, remains essential to the process used by illegal miners across the rainforest to extract gold from river sediment. The method is simple but dangerous: miners mix mercury with gold particles to form an amalgam, then burn it off, releasing toxic vapor into the air. The leftover mercury often flows into rivers,where it transforms into methylmercury— its most dangerous form — and builds up in fish and aquatic life. "This is a very important seizure," said Luis Fernandez, a research professor and mercury expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who traveled to Lima to assess the find. "We don't often see mercury seizures at this scale, especially not in transit through formal customs points," he said. Fernandez estimated the mercury could have been used to produce roughly 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) of gold — worth more than $172 million at current prices. "This isn't subsistence mining," he said. "It's organized, high-value illicit trade with serious environmental and public health consequences." A 'gold-mercury-drug trifecta' In Peru's Madre de Dios region, an epicenter of illegal mining, mercury contamination has been detected in drinking water, fish and even breast milk. Long-term exposure to methylmercury can cause irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system, particularly in children and pregnant women. Indigenous and riverine communities that rely on fish for food are especially vulnerable. Peruvian authorities say much of the mercury entering the country is smuggled from Mexico, where it's mined in central states such as Querétaro. Prices have surged in recent years due tobooming global demand for gold, reaching as high as $330 per kilogram of mercury — and more than $3,500 per ounce of gold — earlier this year. Some of the mercury seized in June is believed to have originated in small, artisanal mines inside aUNESCO‑protected biosphere reserve. While the Environmental Investigation Agency, a nonprofit watchdog that investigates environmental crime, has documented that at least 30 tons of mercury have been trafficked annually from Mexico to countries like Peru and Colombia by a single criminal network, the real volume is likely higher. Soaring gold prices and a 400% markup on mercury in the Amazon compared to Mexico have made smuggling increasingly lucrative. Seizures and monitoring suggest flows rose to an estimated 56 tons in 2024, with further increases expected this year. Colombia remains one of the highest per capita emitters of mercury worldwide, with total annual releases reaching up to 150 tons, much of it tied to illegal gold mining. EIA'slatest investigation, released in tandem with Peru's announcement, describes a growing "gold-mercury-drug trifecta" linking illegal mining to transnational crime and environmental degradation. The group's investigators documented how organized criminal groups — includingMexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel— are now involved in mercury mining and trafficking. "Until mercury mines are no longer in operation, traffickers will leave no stone unturned to smuggle the metal," the report states. Growing calls to close mercury mines Traffickers often disguise mercury shipments with false paperwork and front companies, allowing them to slip through customs. Once across the border, the metal is sold to illegal mining camps — often in protected forests or Indigenous territories — where it becomes almost impossible to trace. In Colombia, security sources say armed groups such as the National Liberation Army and the Gulf Clan play a central role in the mercury-for-gold trade. Similar dynamics have been reported in Brazil and Bolivia, where enforcement is weak and black-market demand is high. Although Peru ratified theMinamata Convention on Mercuryin 2013, enforcement has struggled to keep up with the pace and adaptability of trafficking networks. "These networks are agile," Fernandez said. "As gold prices rise, they adapt quickly. Customs authorities need tools, training, and resources to keep pace." Adam Dolezal, extractive industries campaigner at EIA, said the seizure shows what is possible when customs systems are properly resourced and coordinated — but warned that enforcement alone won't stop the trade. "Unless mercury production is shut down at the source, this toxic trade will continue," Dolezal said. Calls are growing to close remaining mercury mines in Mexico and reform global controls on the metal. The issue is expected to take center stage at the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention later this year, where advocates hope to eliminate legal loopholes that allow mercury to be traded for small-scale mining. ____ Follow Steven Grattan on Instagram: @steven.grattan ____ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

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July 24, 2025

Peru seizes record 4-ton mercury shipment in fight against illegal gold mining

Peru seizes record 4-ton mercury shipment in fight against illegal gold mining BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Peruvian customs officials have seize...

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Runaway wallabies spark police chase spanning 2 countries

Runaway wallabies spark police chase spanning 2 countries

Two runaway wallabies sparked a cross-border chase in Belgium and France, with police and firefighters hot on the heels of the fast-hopping marsupials. Firemen captured one of the fugitives on Tuesday near the northern French city of Lille, days after the pair broke out of their enclosure in the border town of Mouscron, Belgium. But its accomplice was still unaccounted for Thursday at noon. "The other wallaby is currently still on the run and remains nowhere to be found," the city of Mouscron said in asocial media post. The escape took place while their owner was on vacation overseas and had entrusted the care of the animals to a neighbor, said Belgian police. "We are not combing the area to find it, it could be anywhere," a Mouscron police spokeswoman told AFP. "We are mainly waiting for a local resident who might spot him to report his location." The bouncing duo went on the loose over the weekend and sightings soon spread across the region. Footage of the animals hopping around urban areas, at times scared by passing motorists, went viral on social media. "Thank you for doing everything you can to find these poor animals," an internet user commented on the Mouscron police Facebook page. The fire department in France's Nord district mused that the marsupials had "suddenly decided to explore the world around them, far from the Australian plains, closer to the urban jungle." Firefighters in Wattrelos, France, eventually cornered one of the escapees on Tuesday evening after it ventured into the garden of a residential building. "An anti-escape net was deployed to prevent the marsupial from making a run for it," the fire service said. "Indeed, the main fear was that the animal could cause an accident or injure itself." It took wildlife specialists two hours to get the wallaby safely inside a cage. It was then "returned to its kingdom, that of Belgium" and freed back into its enclosure, the fire department said. Images posted to social mediaby officials show the captured marsupial being put in a cage to be transported away. Wallabies, a smaller member of the kangaroo family, are native of Australia, and the country's rugby team is nicknamed after them. Owning wallabies and other exotic animals is allowed in Belgium as long as they are fed, cared for and not mistreated. Fugitive marsupials have made headlines in the U.S. recently. In April, a runawaykangaroo named Sheilashut down a stretch of interstate in Alabama, causing two vehicles to crash before being captured. A few weeks later, police in Durango, Colorado,captureda kangaroo that escaped from its home. Authorities said it was the samekangaroo that escapedand hopped through downtown in October 2024, before officers captured it. Bryan Kohberger sentenced to life in prison for murders of Idaho students Idaho murders victims' families speak out at Bryan Kohberger's sentencing hearing Trump reacts to DOJ reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyer on Jeffrey Epstein files

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July 24, 2025

Runaway wallabies spark police chase spanning 2 countries

Runaway wallabies spark police chase spanning 2 countries Two runaway wallabies sparked a cross-border chase in Belgium and France, with pol...

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India's Goyal hopeful of concluding US trade deal after 'fantastic' progress

India's Goyal hopeful of concluding US trade deal after 'fantastic' progress

LONDON (Reuters) -India is making "fantastic" progress in trade talks with the United States, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Reuters on Thursday, adding he was very confident that India would get special treatment from President Donald Trump. "We're making fantastic progress with the United States, and I do hope we'll be able to conclude a very consequential partnership," Goyal said in an interview during a visit to London. "What is important, is to get preferential market access over our competitors, our peers. And I'm very confident that India, having been the first country to start negotiating, will be given a special and preferred treatment." (Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Sachin Ravikumar)

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July 24, 2025

India's Goyal hopeful of concluding US trade deal after 'fantastic' progress

India's Goyal hopeful of concluding US trade deal after 'fantastic' progress LONDON (Reuters) -India is making "fantastic...

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